Home Sweet Home
by Jenny Clever
Summary: Home sweet home, sighed Nicole sadly. It used to be there but I guess now it's here. A girl gets into M.E. and it has to become her new home. Fitting in isn't as easy as she thought it would be. UPDATE: Nov. 4th, 2007. Chpt. 1 edited, reposted.
1. Introducing

**A/N: Can any girl who is secretly in love with Legolas resist writing her own "girl goes to Middle Earth" story? I don't think so... I've given in. Anyways, please review... I need the attention. I should warn ya'll now, this chapter is just an intro, so you'll have to be patient until our heroine gets to Middle Earth. Also... I don't think that this will be a Legolas/OC romance because I think that there are way too many of those as it is. And I don't want it to be a Mary Sue either... please tell me if it is!!! I need any help I can get!!! Alright so enjoy, but before we begin, a few words from... drum roll please... me. oh how dramatic.**

**Disclaimer: contrary to popular belief, I don't actually own LotR... actually, I do, cuz I own the books... but I don't own the actual Lord of the Rings... he was destroyed, duh! how do you own a dead person??? Or thing... was Sauron a human???**

**On with the story before my brain starts thinking about Sauron's geneology. Enjoy! Morgaine**

**A/N: Chapter edited and reposted, Nov. 4****th****, 2007.**

**Home Sweet Home**

**Introducing...**

Nicole slammed the door behind her as she entered her house. Glancing about her, she looked at her home and calmed herself down. There was the familiar furniture, the warm lighting and the predictable vase of flowers that reassured her she was safe. Her home was fashionable, if perhaps a bit cold and not lived-in, and was a testament to the family who lived there. For the sake of appearances, they were perfect. And maybe, in truth, they were a perfect family. But Nicole hadn't ever felt that way. She tried to keep her frustration locked away, but sometimes little things would set her off and her anger would run free. Like now.

Disregarding the closet on her right, Nicole tramped through the living and dining room with her wet boots, leaving wet footprints on the hardwood. Reaching her destination, the kitchen countertop, she swung her backpack off and dumped it on the ground, then pushed herself on to the counter. She heaved a great sigh... Her friends had called her weird again. She honestly didn't know why it was getting on her nerves, she'd been called weird before. Besides, her friends were only joking, it wasn't a very insulting thing to say. Maybe the reason it stung so much was because it was true. Nicole had never had many close friends, she had preferred books or her imagination. Never really fitting in anywhere, Nicole had decided somewhere along the way that she was actually an alien that was stuck on Earth while her real family and friends searched the galaxy for her. Not that she looked like an alien or anything, but sometimes the ideas she came up with made her think twice.

Nicole had long straight brown hair, with average features, average height, and a smile that she would have changed, if she got the chance. Nicole wasn't ugly or repulsive, just not interesting or exotic enough to catch the eye of any of the guys at school. Speaking of school...

Nicole had been at a choir rehearsal and her friends were running late, or avoiding her, she didn't know which. While she waited for them to show up and the choir director was working with the alto's, Nicole had doodled over her sheet music, covering it with leaves, flowers, hearts, etc, which all combined to make a picture of a cat. When her friends finally showed up they proclaimed her drawing strange and Nicole as weird. Her mood wasn't good to begin with, but for the rest of choir practice she avoided talking to her friends. There was no logical reason for the comment to put her in such a funk, but it had, and it weighed heavily on her.

_Move your butt, Nicole, _she told herself. _Today is not a day to be moping. You have things to do and people to see. You are going to go out there and make a difference. You are going to live life to the fullest, seize the day! _She stopped trying to motivate herself. She wasn't going anywhere today, just like yesterday, and the day before that, and every other day. _Might as well see what's for dinner._

Sliding off the countertop, she opened the fridge to find some eggs, leftovers, celery sticks, salsa, cheese, and some very suspicious looking pink stuff. _Oh no, wait, there's a sticky note._ A post-it was attached to one of the shelves. Nicole read it quickly.

_Nicky,  
Sorry hon, but I'm running late today. Your sister had a doctors appointment in the city and it's probably going to take a while. Won't be home until late. Make yourself something for dinner. Love and kisses, Mom_

Nicole looked skeptically at the contents of the fridge. "Hello dinner," she said aloud. "What on Earth am I going to make to eat?" _Thinking thinking thinking thinking... I know! PANCAKES!!! _One of Nicole's favorite foods, even though it wasn't usually a dinner item. Nicole started happily going through the cupboards, looking for her ingredients. After a few minutes, all necessary food items and tools were assembled and Nicole started to cook.

About half way through making the batter, Nicole added some water to make it less gooey. Her hand poised above the bowl, Nicole stopped for a moment, and then put the water back on the counter top. _Ahem ahem, presenting the marvelous Nicole as... FRODO!!! And for the role of Galadriel, we have the ever talented... NICOLE!!!! Thunderous applause, thunderous applause!!!_

Doing her best Frodo imitation, Nicole began, "What will I see?" she said in a scared voice.

"Even the wisest cannot tell. For the mirror shows many things." Nicole paused to pick up the water and started dramatically pouring it into the batter. "Things that were. Things that are. And some things... that have not yet come to pass." As she said those words, she backed away from the bowl, as Galadriel had done in the movie. And her feet hit her forgotten backpack, causing Nicole, being as clumsy as she was, to fall over.

"Ow," she said. "Well, I guess I'm not an Elf in disguise... I'm definitely not graceful enough." Picking herself up off the floor, Nicole dusted her pants off and went back to making her dinner.

* * *

Germaine had her feet propped up on her desk at Magetrix. She was currently in the Unusual Affairs office as punishment. Every knows that contrary to its name, nothing unusual ever happens in UA, that's why nobody wants the job. The only person that actually worked UA all the time was Dwayne, a really big nerd. So for the next few weeks, Germaine was stuck with nothing to do and a boring, weird, all-around freaky nerd in an office.

She took her feet off her desk, or rather, the pile of papers sitting on her desk, and spun her chair around. And around, and around, until she was super dizzy. Then she stood up and tried to walk over to where Dwayne was working. "Whoa!" she said, feeling the world tilt. _Hehe, maybe I was sent here 'cause I'm too immature for any other office. _She stumbled halfway to her destination, and decided she'd rather stay in her nice, soft chair, where the world seemed more balanced. During her whole adventure, Dwayne had not said a word. As usual.

Suddenly, Germaine heard a soft beep, then a whirring noise. "Hey Dwayne," she said, getting no response. "Dwayne!" she yelled, getting his attention. She continued with an annoyed tone. "Geez... anyways, did you just hear that? A beep and a whirring noise?"

Dwayne looked at her with a blank stare. "It's your computer," he said, matter-of-factly.

"No way! I didn't know I even had a computer!" she exclaimed. Apparently she did, and it was buried under the mounds of paperwork on her desk. The whirring was from the computer trying to open its screen. Germaine swept her arm across the surface of the desk, sending the paper flying to the floor. The keyboard was built into the desk top, and the screen now was able to fold up from the desk. _Pretty cool. Now, let's see what this thing wants from me. _Germaine read the message that was scrolling across the screen.

_Unusual aspect. Sector G-14. Immediate extraction required. _

The message looped itself over. Germaine thought for a moment. _G-14? Where's that? Hm...that would be... Ah, of course! The green one, for G, and 14, for it's number... so it's gotta be Earth! Let's see what's going on over there._

Germaine gave the computer a command through the mic. "Visual, please," she said. Oddly enough, these computers at Magetrix were very sensitive and demanded that people use manners when using the computers. The computer obliged and Germaine was shown a young woman, about 16-17, who was going around a room preparing some sort of meal. _Huh... that's odd. Usually you don't get an extraction at such an old age. The adjustment doesn't work. And usually when people don't fit they get redirected when they're young. Actually, usually we don't redirect people...hmm. _Germaine snapped out of it as she realized that she had been running away on her train of thought. _Ok then, let's get to work! _Germaine got to work and prepared for an extraction. _My first extraction... this is going to be hell..._

**A/N: I swear that this is actually related to Lord of the Rings in some small way. I should probably explain the Magetrix. I got the idea from the Matrix, except since it's directed by mages, or magic-doers, it's called the Magetrix. Don't sue me for stealing the title, please! And don't forget to review, so you can comment on how horrible my story is! Review, and I'll love you for forever and a day! m**


	2. How May I Direct You?

**A/N: I get the feeling that this chapter is going to be unnaturally long... I own Germaine, the Magetrix, a tattered copy of The Hobbit, Nicole (but she has a mind of her own), and that peach frozen yogurt that she was eating... LotR and all of Middle Earth belongs to Tolkien... and if you haven't figured that out already... well. Oh yeah, and the squiggles and stars are POV changes. you should already know that too.**

**JUST REVIEW!!!!!!!!! And read the story too... BUT REVIEW!!!!!!!!!!!! ~M~**

**Home Sweet Home**

**Chapter Two- How May I Direct You?**

Germaine picked up her clipboard and hurried to the ingeniously named Extraction Room, to extract that girl she'd seen on G-14. She was late as it was, because she had to look through the manual to find out how you were supposed to go through the process of extracting someone. Apparently it wasn't done very often.

"Hustle people, let's move," she muttered under her breath as she encountered a crowd of various species surrounding a couple of dueling pixies, which was blocking the entire hallway. After practically crawling on hands and knees through the crowd, she straightened up and quickened her pace. She turned down one hallway then down another and another. Only working at Magetrix her whole life would get a person this familiar with the whole place. It was huge, and Germaine was lucky to have been living here from birth.

Finally, she pushed open the door to the Extraction Room, and began work with the officer there.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Nicole closed the book that she'd been reading for the umpteenth time, a tattered copy of Tolkien's The Hobbit. After her version of dinner, she had changed into her favorite pair of jeans and a 3/4 grey t-shirt. She shivered slightly. Though the heat was fully functional in her house, Nicole was always complaining that it was freezing cold. She replaced the cherished book on the shelf in the study/library and climbed the spiral stairs to the second floor. Her room was right beside the upper portion of the library, since she was the only one of her family that ever actually used it. So it was kind of like an extension to her bedroom. She entered her room and dug through her closet until she found a navy zippered sweatshirt with a hood. She pulled it on and turned to head back to the kitchen for a snack, humming 'May It Be'.

Once she came into the kitchen, she headed straight for the fridge. Finding nothing satisfactory there, she opened the freezer part and found her newest source of nourishment, peach frozen yogurt. She opened the container and dug in with a large spoon.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Germaine watched through her screen, and noticed that the girl was eating, again. It had only been maybe an hour or two since she'd been notified about the problem. She sighed. _If only I had the time to eat..._

"You ready?" she asked the guy that was working Extraction today. He nodded in response. _Another quiet one... _Germaine watched as he pressed a couple of buttons, turned some dials, played with his keyboard, or whatever. In the open space in front of them a swirling vortex appeared. Through it they could see the kitchen and the girl, with her back facing them. The girl suddenly turned around, probably because of the inconveniently loud, yet typical, windy noise that came with the vortex. The girl looked frightened, but curious. _ Well, at least she isn't screaming. _Germaine beckoned to her, and surprisingly, the girl smiled. Actually, the girl looked like a heroine or something, with her hair being whipped around by the vortex, and her stance was kind of victorious. The girl, still smiling a little, touch the edge of the vortex with one hand, and pulled it back. Seeing that it wouldn't burn her alive, she stepped through.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Nicole stepped through the portal, and came out into an open space in a room filled with lots of whirring machines. She wobbled slightly from the passage. _Whoa... that was fun! But now... why am I here? _She turned to see a woman with short green hair that curled around her face and skin that was a light lilac color, standing beside a normal guy, brown hair, brown eyes, who looked very monotone. They were leaning over some kind of console. 

"Hi!" she said, figuring they might as well start talking. "I'm Nicole. Who are you? And why am I here? Not that I mind, of course. Just that I can't be gone for too long. Or maybe they wouldn't mind. Hmm.... but it really doesn't matter, does it? I bet you guys can make those portals go both ways... So where am I anyways?" She paused, but noticing the looks on their faces, realized that maybe they didn't understand English. _Oops. _

"Um, salve? No, why would the understand Latin? Bonjour! Nope, not French either," she continued trying out 'hello' in several different languages. Their faces kept the same expression. This made Nicole frustrated. "You people! You bring me here. And I come, mind you! Let's not even consider the fact that Nicole won't understand us! Hey, I know, why don't we just piss her off by looking at her like she's psychotic! Yeah, wouldn't that be fun! And while we're at it--"

"If I could just say something--" the woman interrupted.

"No you may not! I believe _I _was in the middle of raving, here? Honestly, you people disgust me! ...yeah, I have nothing else to say. Hey wait, you understood me?"

"How could we not? There's only one language in the Magetrix, and everyone, even arrivals, can understand it and speak it. Now to answer your questions--"

"You said it wrong," Nicole interrupted. 

"Said what wrong?"

"It's called the _Matrix_, duh. Anyone and everyone knows that. There is no spoon."

"I don't get it..." the woman replied. Nicole just sighed. "Alrighty then. My name is Germaine. You are here because you were placed wrong and the stupid computer just figured it out like... two hours ago. _They _ whoever they are, will have to deal with you being gone, because we can't send you back to your wrong place. And now... we have to figure out where you belong. Does that answer everything?"

"Uh... yup," Nicole answered. She nodded at the guy. "Doesn't he say anything?"

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Germaine looked at the officer. He stayed silent. "I don't think so. Whatever. Follow me." She turned and walked out of the room, heading for a private office where she could look up the placement quiz. _A bit strange, but hey, that's why we're putting her somewhere better. Maybe she'll get fixed. _

"Ok, so Germaine," Nicole said. "You would be a... what? Help me out here."

"You mean what species am I?" The girl nodded in affirmation. Germaine laughed. "As if I would know! Probably close to a human, so from G sector. But more than that... no clue. My parents never told me... Actually, I never asked." She shrugged. It really never mattered to her. 

They reached a hallway full of computer rooms, and Germaine unlocked an empty one with her pass-card. The room was bland. White walls, grey floor. A table with four chairs and two computers with keyboards set into the table top. She keyed the computers and the screens came up and the key boards slid open. She sat in one chair and Nicole sat in another one, across from her.

"Gimme a second. Got to find the program," Germaine muttered as she accessed the database. She found the program (Quiz For Arrivals) and pulled it up. The two computers were networked, so it was easy for Germaine to transfer the program onto Nicole's screen as well. 

"A quiz? What is this, math class?" Nicole asked, dubiously. 

"It's a test that helps decide what world you belong on. Don't let the name fool you. It's not a quiz, it has about 200+ questions."

"What world I belong on?"

Germaine sighed. "It's _way _too much work to explain our whole system to you. Just do the quiz." The girl complied and Germaine sat back in her chair, watching as the answers to the questions appeared on her screen. The minutes passed in silence. About 45 minutes later, the girl finished the quiz and sat back, rubbing her eyes.

"Staring at screens isn't good for your eyes, you know," she said.

"Yeah, well, just a few more minutes. Let the computer decide where your going, and we'll be off again."

"I'm letting a computer decide where I'm gonna live for the rest of my life?" Germaine nodded. "Well that's just swell."

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Nicole practically fell out of her seat when the results popped up on the screen. She stared at Germaine incredulously. She didn't seem at all bothered by the information on her screen.

"Hello? Do you see what's on your screen?" she asked. 

"What do you mean?" Germaine responded. "It's just your placement. Why, is your screen messed up?"

"IT SAYS I BELONG IN MIDDLE EARTH!!!!!"

"And that's a problem because?"

"BECAUSE IT'S MIDDLE EARTH!"

"Right. Let's just get going," Germaine said, giving Nicole a weird look. Nicole followed her around again, lost within seconds in the sprawling building. Assuming, of course, that it was a building. Nicole had no idea. She was led into a room similar to the one she had appeared in earlier. Germaine spoke briefly with another worker there, who began inputting information into a console. Germaine turned to her with a cookie.

"Eat," Germaine said, and gave the cookie to Nicole.

"Um, ok. Why?" Nicole asked, suspiciously.

"It's a present," Germaine replied sarcastically.

"Aww! You shouldn't have! I would've given you my frozen yogurt, but I left it back on Earth!" Nicole replied, just as sarcastically.

"It's a cookie because it's a familiar food to you. It'll let you speak the main language in Middle Earth, plus basic knowledge of some other languages there," Germaine replied, minus the sarcasm this time.

"Hmmm, this could be a good thing. So I'd know the common tongue, and what other languages? Or actually, to what extent would I know those other languages?" Nicole asked, suddenly fascinated by the chocolate chip cookie.

"Well, in your quiz you answered that you had some basic French and... Latin, was it? Then, it would be the same for the other, less common dialects in Middle Earth. Now eat," Germaine said firmly.

Nicole ate, as she did, Germaine continued working with the officer. _This is kinda cool. Cookies, speaking in tongues, going to Middle Earth... I wonder what year it is there? _Nicole turned to Germaine and was going to ask her about how she would survive in her new placement, but Germaine waved her away. _Fine, be that way. _Germaine worked for a few more minutes then came over to Nicole.

"Stand here," she said, directing her to a spot in front of the console. "Well, that's it. You're done. Don't ruin it, kid. This is where you belong, and you'd better be happy, because next time, we might make you stay in the Magetrix." She went back to the console, probably to key in the final start sequence.

"You said it wrong again," Nicole said, about to correct her.

"Bye."

"It's called the Ma--" Nicole was going to finish the word, but suddenly, the vortex appeared again, sucking her in to another world. Nicole had the sensation of flying before she felt the impact of her body hitting something. _Ow. That hurt. Stupid Germaine.... _Nicole realized that it was done now, and she was in Middle Earth. _Here I am... Home sweet home._

**A/N: Ha, there I'm done! I thought I would never finish this chapter! I actually wrote the third chapter, then I started this one. Just a hint: never do that. It's hell. Anyways, review. Nicole will kill you with peach frozen yogurt if you don't. ~M~**


	3. Arrival

**A/N: I lost some of my files on my messed up computer, so be thankful that this chapter got out. On with the story! ~MoI~**

**Home Sweet Home**

**Chapter Three- Arrival**

Nicole looked around at the new surroundings and rubbed her aching head. "Thanks bunches, Germaine. You might want to work on your aim a little bit," she muttered to the empty air. She carefully pried herself off of the rock, or rather boulder, that she had landed on and surveyed herself for any damage other than her current headache. 

She winced as she moved her legs. _Yeah, ow, that would be an injury. Thanks for adding to my already wonderful day, Germaine. _She checked to see what exactly was wrong with her legs and groaned when she found out. A smaller rock had ripped through the left leg of her jeans and had made a gash in her leg. _Well, ok, maybe not a gash. But that's one hell of a scrape, _Nicole thought to herself, extremely annoyed. Germaine hadn't promised her wonders, just fitting in. But Nicole had kind of hoped that she would end up all marvelous and wonderful in this world. That kind of life didn't start with falling from the sky and landed on a big, stupid, sharp rock. 

_Come on, you lazy ass, let's get moving. Apparently time moves relatively the same in all worlds. _Nicole noted that the sun was already nearing the horizon, and she was stuck on the top of a rock with no shelter. 

She climbed down from the rock, also noting that her wrist seemed to be sprained. Nicole landed on a rocky surface with some grass growing out of a few holes. The setting looked strangely familiar, but she couldn't place it exactly. She was actually at the top of a hill that was surrounded by more hills, and if she looked far off into the distance, she could see even more rocky hills like her own. _Wow, how exciting. Hills, _she realized she wasn't exactly being optimistic and happy. After all, she had been sent to her favorite place in the world... well, the worlds, technically. And here she was, complaining. _And can you really blame me? This hasn't exactly been the best of days for me. And yet, does that really excuse my complaining? I think not. _

She turned in a complete circle and realized that on one side the hills were replaced. By mountains. Big, huge, snowy things, when it was obviously too warm for snow. Which told Nicole that the mountains must be pretty high up and be pretty cold. _Ugh... let's not go that way. _looking at the mountains gleaming in the light of the sunset, the familiar image finally clicked into place. 

"Caradhras!" she said aloud, shocked. A couple of birds hiding in a hole in the rock ruffled their feathers at the abrupt disruption. Ignoring them, Nicole continued her monologue. "Wow. So the Fellowship should be coming to this hill... or maybe they were already here. But then I'd be able to see them on the mountain. Unless the whole War of the Ring finished ages ago. Or maybe it hasn't started yet. When am I????" she asked the birds, the sky, the rocks, and anything else that could hear her. 

She kicked around a few small rocks for amusement, waiting for something interesting to happen. _But wait... if they're on their way here... shouldn't I be able to see them from here? _Hoping that this was a good theory, she climbed back up the rock, once again wincing as she moved her left leg and her wrist. She looked around again in the dying sunlight and made out a small smoke cloud floating up from a place a couple of hills away. _And that should be them! Yes! Victory is mine! Power to the people! Go Nicole! Whoo hoo! _She carried on with such mental congratulations until she noticed that she couldn't see very well anymore. 

"Oh yeah, the sunset," she mumbled, turning west to see only a blotch of purple at the horizon. "Oops. Should've found somewhere to camp instead. Oh well, this place looks fine." She sat down on top of the boulder where she had landed and tried to make herself comfortable enough to go to sleep. After removing a few pebbles and the rock that had ripped her jeans, she used her arms as a pillow and fell asleep, miraculously.

**A/N: Ok, so maybe falling asleep isn't miraculous to you, but let's consider the circumstances: on a big huge rock beside a freezing cold mountain with a scraped leg, a sprained wrist and only your arms as pillows. That's pretty miraculous. You know what else would be miraculous? If I got some reviews... hint hint! ~M~**


	4. In The Land Of ME

**A/N: Back again... who is even reading this story????? Honestly, if you're reading it, review just to tell me that you read it. **

**Disclaimer: Tolkien is a genius... I don't claim to be anywhere near as talented as he is. LotR is Tolkien's. Nicole is mine... steal her and die. Anything else that you don't recognize is mine... Also, the characters from LotR aren't exactly the same that they are in the books.... **

***Elvish talking*  
"Normal talking"  
_Thinking  
_^Dwarvish^**

**READ AND REVIEW!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! ~m~**

**Home Sweet Home**

**Chapter Four ~ In the Land of ME**

Nicole woke up in the middle of the night to a cold wind and rain. She groaned and started to get up. _Way to spend your first night in Middle Earth... raining, sleeping on a rock... ain't this the life? _She dragged herself off the rock and crawled beneath an over-hanging rock, ignoring the pain in her leg and wrist. She shivered in the cold and pulled her zipper on her sweater all the way up. Huddling beneath the rock, she fell asleep again.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Waking up again, Nicole found that they day had cleared a bit, and the sun was a few minutes past sunrise. She crawled out from under the rock and inspected her surroundings again. In the clearer light, she could see that much of what she had thought was shadows yesterday evening was actually foliage, such as low trees and bushes. On one part of the boulder, which had a slight indent to it, a pool of rainwater had gathered. Nicole used it to wash up and prepare herself as she usually did in the morning.

As the day continued, it got slightly warmer, and Nicole took off her sweater. She spent most of the day doing nothing. _ That cookie Germaine gave me isn't gonna last forever, _she thought as the day approached noon. _They'd better get here fast. _Just as she thought that, they came over a hill close to hers, and she could spot one of the miniature figures pointing at her hill. _That would be Legolas... I wonder if he's as gorgeous as he looks in the movie? And I wonder if Boromir really is such a pain? _The group increased their speed. Nicole watched as they came closer.

Within an hour, they began climbing up the side of her hill, which she had begun to call (quite affectionately), The Hill. She had by then also taken off her grey t-shirt, and was thankful that she always wore tank tops under anything. It was one of her more unusual quirks. Even if it was the middle of the summer and she was wearing a t-shirt, she'd have a tank top underneath. She stood up as they came nearer, her shirt and sweater dumped on a dry boulder and her injuries momentarily forgotten. A small breeze came down from the mountain and ruffled her hair, and made her shiver slightly. She felt important, as though the moment was one of those that was the most memorable from a movie. As she looked down on the quickly approaching Fellowship a random thought popped into her head. _"And they stood at the top, looking down on the world around them. They knew that the world was as it was, and without changing it, they had conquered it, and it was their own once more." Huh... wonder where that came from... must be from a book I read or something. _She shrugged it off and looked to the Fellowship, which was now coming over the top of The Hill.

Aragorn came forward, hand on hilt, Nicole noticed, a bit frightened. He spoke. "Who are you? Speak and come forth," he commanded.

Nicole almost laughed at the way he talked, but then remembered where his hand was poised, and thought again. Obediently, she stepped forward and answered his question. "My name is Nicole." She thought about adding more, but didn't because she would probably start rambling on about nothing in particular, like the stories of her childhood or something. "And who might you be, good sir?" Nicole adopted their manner of speaking, because it seemed appropriate, and silently thanked Germaine for the cookie.

Aragorn looked at Gandalf, who was now standing by his side. The rest of the group was a bit farther back. A silent conversation took place in a matter of seconds between Aragorn and Gandalf. Aragorn replied, "A traveler, though more than that I will not say. Surely you know of the ways of the road? What land do you hail from?"

_Uh-oh... not a good question. Uh yeah, I come from Earth, but then I went to the 'Magetrix' and got relocated. They'll throw me in a dungeon for saying that... _Nicole thought quickly and came up with an answer, hoping that her acting was good enough to cover her lies. "I am a traveler, of sorts, though I am new to this land. The ways of the road are still new to me," she answered, hoping that her answer would please him so that she could finally stop with all the proper talking.

Gandalf and Aragorn turned back to the rest of their group and discussed quietly for a minute. Legolas didn't look comfortable with this because he wasn't sure that Nicole was human. 

"Do not trust those you meet on the road. Anyone can be a spy of Sauron," Legolas hissed to his companions, just loudly for Nicole to hear. They continued their quiet conversation for a minute or two more, then turned back to her.

Legolas spoke directly to her this time. "What would a woman-- lady, be doing in the wild, with no companions, no traveling gear, and no weapons?" he asked, a little less than politely.

"I came upon my journey unexpectedly," Nicole answered brilliantly. "I had no time to pack, gather traveling companions, nor to take a weapon. Even had I taken a weapon, I do not have the skill to wield one." She wondered whether it was wise for her to have said that. _That either made them more trustful of me, because now they know I don't know how to attack them. Or, it made them suspect me more... or if they don't have enough meat in their diets, it made me dinner. _Gandalf was about to say something. _And the winner is..._

"We must discuss this situation. Leave not our sight, for it would be perilous to do so," he answered, but whether it was perilous because of the wild, or perilous because of what they would do to her is she tried to run, was beyond her.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

About an hour or so later, Nicole was lying dejectedly on her boulder, with her sweater and shirt as a pillow. The Fellowship had eyed her jeans and tank top with confusion, but Nicole ignored them to the best of her ability. She had managed to get everyone's names out of Pippin, even though she already knew them, just to double check and to have a valid reason for knowing everyone's names. That had been in the first ten minutes. The discussion was between Gandalf, Boromir, Aragorn and Legolas. Gimli was more interested in sharpening his axe, and Frodo would occasionally drift into the discussion, but return to eating with the other hobbits because of the boring nature of the discussion. Nicole had gotten somewhat off on a bad foot with Legolas... she didn't like the tone he used when he had talked to her. 

_Ooh... sky.... hey look! There's even more sky! Wow... isn't this fun? _Nicole rolled over onto her side because the sky was just too boring to look at. The rolling action triggered pain in her forgotten injuries and she gave a soft cry. _Ow... how come Mr. Healer peoples aren't helping me? _Legolas had looked over at the noise, and Nicole took the opportunity to speak while she had his attention. _Screw the proper talking, I WANT ADVIL!!! _

"Hey! Do you guys know how to fix injuries?" she asked, getting the attention of the whole group of discussers. (A/N: I made that word up... unless it's an actual word... I dunno. Don't be mad at me for not being grammatical... too hard). She pushed herself into a sitting position, noticing again the pain in her wrist. "I think I sprained my wrist. And I'd really love to clean out my leg because an infection would not be the greatest thing." Nicole slid over to the very edge of the boulder so that they could see her better. She rolled up her left jean leg to her knee, then realizing that proper ladies in Middle Earth probably didn't go around showing off their legs... _this is a primitive culture, like the Middle Ages...._ _Oh well, health takes precedence over their whacked ideas of etiquette. _The edges of the hole in her pants were fringed with blood. Aragorn came forward immediately to attend to the wound. Legolas followed, with Boromir and Gandalf a step behind. Seeing the movement, the hobbits and Gimli joined the crowd around Nicole. Aragorn began cleaning the wound out with water.

Gandalf sighed. "We might as well begin," he said. Nicole looked at him quizzically. "We have decided that we need to know more about you before taking further actions." _Though of course, _Nicole thought, _those actions will not be explained, because it doesn't matter if we keep poor Nicole frightened for her life. Hey, no one ever said the Fellowship was all rainbows and flowers. _Gandalf began the questioning, "What is your full name and title?"

"Nicole Featherhall, lady of Gaia," she replied, making up her last name and using an old Earth term for Earth.

"Your age?"

"16 and a half." 

"Traveling at such a young age?" Boromir asked, a bit concerned.

"Didn't have much choice," she answered, deciding Boromir wasn't a bad guy like in the movie.

Gandalf took over again. "Reason for traveling?"

"Um... didn't have much choice. I was kind of forced into it."

"By whom?"

"My mother. I was told that I needed to become more worldly."

"Why would a mother send out her child?" Legolas asked, clearly suspicious.

"I dunno. Ask her."

"Leave her be, Legolas. Now... where was I? Ah yes... your education?" 

"I was taught privately at my home, though my land is much different than yours, and much of what I know is irrelevant here."

"How is it that you know our language?"

"I once met a person who came to my home, and I learned the language from him and the books he had with him."

"What other languages do you know?"

"French, some Latin, English, possibly some of the other languages common in this area." (A/N: Common tongue isn't English.... duh!)

"French, Latin, English? I have never heard of these. Could you describe them?"

"Sure. French, common in several countries in my land. Comment ca va? Latin, an ancient tongue no longer in use, but it was the basis for many other languages. Salve, volo cibum. And English, the main language spoken in my home land. 'How is the weather?'"

"Humm... I see. What languages do you know from this land?"

"I'd have to hear them to know."

Aragorn spoke at last, still tending to the wound. *Pass me some cloth, Legolas.* Nicole understood immediately.

*Yes, I know that language.* she replied, proud of herself. Aragorn and Legolas looked up, surprised.

*Well, don't stand there. Give the man some cloth.* she said to Legolas, who did as he was told by taking a piece of finely woven cloth from his pack. Aragorn put some salve on her leg that stung a bit, then wrapped the cloth around it. *Thank you.*

Gimli spoke up too. ^You say you know no weaponry. I might just decide to teach you how to wield an axe.^

Nicole took an immediate liking to Gimli. _ I get the feeling we're gonna be great friends. _^That would be wonderful.^

"Well, then, it would seem that you are indeed quite familiar with our land. Tell me, what way is Moria?" Gandalf asked.

Nicole pointed towards the mountains. He chuckled. "But perhaps not as familiar with our maps. Where is Rivendell?"

Nicole pointed vaguely in the direction they had come from. Gandalf nodded. "And Gaia?"

"Umm... Gaia?"

"You said that it was your home."

"It is not in this land."

"Are you then from the West?"

"In a manner of speaking, yes." Nicole replied, thinking of North America, not the Grey Havens.

*You come from the Grey Havens?* Legolas asked with a mix of wonder and suspicion.

Nicole switched back into Elvish. *No, my land is beyond.* Nicole thought of the Grey Havens as Atlantis, in the middle of the Atlantic Ocean. Therefore, to her logic, North America was beyond the Grey Havens. This sounded to the Fellowship like she was actually from a land created by the gods, or perhaps where the gods lived. Realizing her mistake, she hurried to fix it. *Not so! My land is of the living, the mortal. It is simply a farther journey from these shores than the journey to the Grey Havens.*

"Pardon me, miss, but we don't understand Elvish," Sam said timidly.

"Oh, that's right. I'm sorry Sam, I'll stick to the Common Tongue."

Both Sam and Gandalf started at hearing Sam's name. Gandalf lifted his staff immediately and pointed it at Nicole. The Fellowship backed away from her. "Spy of Sauron! How is it that you came to know our names? Sorceress! Your clever lies will not conceal you! Are you in league with Saruman? SPEAK!"

Nicole squeaked nervously. She shoved herself away from the edge of the boulder and went back to the middle, where her shirts were still piled. Gandalf advanced towards her and she ducked her head, as though it would protect her from his wizardry.

"STOP!" Nicole looked up to see who would dare defy Gandalf. Boromir stood in front of Gandalf's pointed staff, shielding Nicole from the blast. "Do you not see she is frightened? How could one small girl be a spy of Sauron, or a minion of Saruman?" Boromir turned to Nicole. She flung her arms around him, and he staggered momentarily, shocked by this sudden outburst.

"Thankyouthankyouthankyou!" She detached herself from Boromir, who hesitantly patted her shoulder. Nicole was still shaking a little and Boromir stayed beside her to comfort her. She composed herself and tried to reason with Gandalf. "I am no spy of Sauron's, nor of Saruman. I would not hold sides with those who are so destructive. And as for your names...." Nicole paused. _Pippin gets in trouble for so much... I really don't want to get him in more... but my life is at stake here. Sorry Pip. _ Completing her silent apology to Pippin, she gave him a sideways glance and continued. "Um... Pippin told me your names," she said in a quiet voice. She looked away, knowing that she probably just lost her possible friendships with the hobbits.

Her comment spurred another yelling session between Gandalf and the poor hobbits, trying to defend their friend. The result was Pippin getting mad at Nicole and Gandalf, and the hobbits somewhat angry with Nicole.... naturally, she didn't think that was very fair. It was Pippin's fault for telling her, not her fault for telling Gandalf that Pippin told her. However, the argument had amused the taller members of the Fellowship, excluding Gandalf and including Gimli. In the end, everything worked out fine, because Gandalf had decided that Nicole was harmless and, despite the angry glares from the hobbits and the unhappy Legolas, she was going to travel with them because it simply wasn't right to leave a maiden all by herself in the wild, or so Boromir claimed. _Personally, _Nicole thought as he said this, _I think he's just grown attached to me... _

With all the minor issues ironed out, Nicole turned to more important matters. "Ok, who's got the food?" 

**A/N: Wasn't that lovely? Another person to join the Fellowship, just like in every other Mary Sue falling into ME story.... Sorry.... I really thought it might turn out a bit less ordinary, but I guess not...**

**Nicole: Hey! Ordinary??? I don't think so! I can speak Elvish and you can't!  
Morgaine: Well, who allowed you to speak Elvish???_ I'M _the author here!!!  
**Nicole grumbles and slouches until Morgaine whacks her on the back to stand up straight.**  
Morgaine: Ha! I will now put you through eternal torture by making you stand straight all the time!!!  
Nicole: NOOOOO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!  
Morgaine: No complaining, or I'll make you even more of a Mary Sue! MUWAHAHAHAHA!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!**

**And if you haven't already run away with fright because I'm insane, drop me a line!!! Submit a review! Or if you feel your comments are simply too rude to put on a website, send them to me at morgaine@myst.net . Thanks!!!! ~m~**


	5. Nicole With A Weapon? RUN!

**A/N: Thanks to WeasleyTwinsLover1112, for being my only reviewer.... this chapter (and the second and third and fourth ones too) is for you.... just please keep reading!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Also, I guess I should mention this now, because I'm too lazy to re-post the fourth chapter. But yeah, during the interrogation part, Aragorn also wrapped up Nicole's wrist and put salve on it too, so it's pretty much healed.**

**Disclaimer: Nicole is kinda on strike, so she's half-mine.... Tolkien's stuff is his, because he is a genius and it is ridiculous to think that I would ever be able to be nearly as talented as he was. **

**"English talking/common tongue"  
*Elvish*  
_Thinking  
_^Dwarvish^**

**Home Sweet Home**

**Chapter Five ~ Nicole With A Weapon? RUN!**

After eating a lunch prepared by the hobbits (Nicole checked first to make sure it wasn't poisoned, dirty, or otherwise harmful), the group settled down on The Hill, deciding to stay for a day because they wanted a rest. Gimli continued sharpening his axe, even though it already looked like it could slice through a stone. Boromir was teaching the hobbits how to use swords, and Nicole and Aragorn were watching them. Legolas was off doing Elvish prancing..._typical,_ Nicole thought, _for an Elf... he is SO blonde. _Gandalf was being a wizard... basically just standing there looking important.

Aragorn shouted to Pippin, "move your feet!" He turned to Nicole. "I'm afraid that we don't have any extra swords that we could give to you. You'll probably have to train with one of our swords, the normal-sized ones... unless you prefer a hobbit-sized one?"

Nicole took that as an insult. "I'll use yours, thank you very much. What about other weapons?"

"I have an extra dagger that could prove useful in hand-to-hand combat. I shall teach you how to use it. Boromir will probably train you in the sword, he seems to be doing well with the hobbits..." Aragorn trailed off, and they looked at how Boromir was faring with Merry and Pippin. Apparently, he had hit them and they were now in the process of tackling him, which resulted in a dog pile. _That's considerably dangerous, _Nicole thought. _I think they forgot about their swords... which could poke them at any second... I don't think that would be pleasant. Oh hey! I forgot about the axe! Gimli could teach me!_

"Hey Gimli!" Nicole called, and he abandoned his axe-sharpening for a minute. Nicole switched back into Dwarvish, to see if she could actually learn the language, instead of just knowing it... she tried thinking of the way to conjugate past tense verbs in Dwarvish, but nothing came to her. _I guess it only works for talking. _^Gimli, you said you would teach me how to use an axe.^

^Aye, so I did^ he answered. ^Perhaps now would be a good time to teach you some, seeing as you seem very unoccupied.^

^That's exactly what I was thinking. Do you have an extra axe that I could use?^

^My dear girl, if I tried to teach you using my axe, or any other full-sized Dwarvish axe, you would fall over just from picking it up^ Gimli said, laughing. Nicole frowned. She didn't like being thought of as a weak little girl, even though she knew she was one. ^Do not worry, I have a smaller hand axe that you may use. It will serve your purpose, and it will be easier for you to learn and handle.^

With that settled, Nicole and Gimli chose a relatively flat area of The Hill to practice on and began the learning process. Nicole picked up the axe that Gimli handed her. It was about two feet long and the actual metal part, the blade, was maybe six to eight inches. It was patterned similarly to Gimli's helmet, with a rough trillium-shaped design going along the blade. When she lifted it, she was surprised by its weight. _And Gimli said that this one was light! Maybe he meant lighter.... geez, it's like 25 pounds or something.... I wouldn't know, I've never done weights... proof more of my laziness. _

^Now, pay attention^ Gimli said. He swung his axe (considerably larger than Nicole's) above and around his head in an arc and beheaded an invisible opponent. He then brought it down, supporting the weight of it on his right arm, using his left arm to control it's path. It sliced through the air, chopping off another opponent's legs. Gimli continued to go through some motions, slicing and dicing left and right. Nicole watched in amazement and wondered how he could even manage to lift the axe. Gimli finished and was barely breathing hard. ^If you ever get strong enough, you'll be able to use an axe of my size. For now, all you'll be able to do is use your hand axe.^

^Fine... though I'd like to know exactly how to use it.^

Gimli pointed out the major areas to aim for to cause maximum injury to your opponent. Nicole mentally made a list. _Ok, to bring them down, aim behind the knees or just above the heel. If it's a guy, aim for 'that special place'. Duh, who doesn't know that? For the arms, on top of the wrist to shatter the bone. On top of the shoulder, close to the neck to bring them down and knock them out. Base of the skull, top of the neck will probably kill your opponent. Or just slashing them across the neck. Moving on... to blind the opponent, use the top, blunt end of the axe to hit 'em between the eyes. And to run away, slice them in the stomach, to make them double over, while you make your oh-so-heroic escape. Got it. _

Once Gimli had finished giving his lecture on the proper methods of attack, he made a suggestion that Nicole thought was very dangerous to his health. "Let's try some sparring." Gimli had switched back to Common, because half-way through his speech, Nicole had gotten lost on the Dwarvish names for certain tactics. 

"Are you sure you want to do that?"

"Why not? I think you've gotten most of it down."

"Yeah, but I'm probably going to decapitate you in the process of learning."

Gimli laughed. "I wouldn't worry about that. Now, on the count of three, I'm going to come at you, slowly, and you have to fight back using what I've taught you, alright? One... Two... Three!"

Gimli ran at her, tackling her in an instant. Nicole managed to squirm her way towards a boulder and used it to shield herself from Gimli. He came around the boulder and Nicole sprinted the other way so that she was behind him now. Using the axe, careful not to use the pointy side, she hit him behind the knees, then across the front of the shoulders as he was turning around. He stumbled for a moment until Nicole picked up a rock and slammed it on the top of his helmet. Gimli crumpled to the ground unconscious.

"Oops! Aw man! I hit him too hard. Gimli? Gimli!" She shook the dwarf, dropping her axe to one side. He wasn't waking up and Nicole turned to call for help to the others. Then she felt a grip on her arm and she was suddenly spun around and found herself on the ground, the wind knocked out of her. Gimli had one knee on her stomach, which would explain why she couldn't breath. His axe was held to her throat. She coughed feebly, seeing spots at the edge of her vision.

Gimli finally realized that he was suffocating the poor girl and released her. She sat up coughing and Gimli patted her on the back. Well, he whacked her really, but to him it was a pat. "You did well enough. Though you didn't actually expect that rock to put me out, did you? Never underestimate your opponent. If they look beaten, then you did a good job and can start running for safety. Don't stay to make sure they're dead."

Nicole nodded and muttered under her breath in English, "Stupid Dwarves have to weigh so much... Let's hope Boromir doesn't throw himself on top of me or else my lungs will collapse."

"What's that?" Gimli asked.

"Oh, nothing. I guess I'm still a little disoriented." That answer satisfied Gimli. Nicole thanked him for teaching her, after promising that she would get further lessons from him, and headed off to find Boromir. While she and Gimli were practicing, Gandalf had decided instead to go by the pass on Caradhras. Gimli wasn't too happy with that and Nicole left them to their bickering. Boromir was sitting on a rock talking to Aragorn, presumably about Gondor or something. 

"Lady Featherhall!" Boromir greeted her. Nicole was startled for a moment, then realized that they didn't know her real last name. "I have heard news that I am to teach you the sword. Assuming that you feel well enough to do so after your axe lessons."

"I'm fine. And call me Nicole, Featherhall is just _so _Goethe," she replied, giggling at the last part. It was a private joke she had with one of her friends. They'd made it up during History class because of the strange way that the teacher pronounced Goethe's name. Aragorn and Boromir didn't get it. "Never mind... just gimme a sword." Aragorn obligingly lent her his and sat by to watch yet another sword lesson.

Boromir began by teaching her a few basic moves, again pointing out the weak places in an opponent. Luckily, they were basically the same as when using the axe, so it was easy for Nicole to remember them. They went through a few slow motions, demonstrating different blocks and attacks. Nicole found it easier than the axe, though the sword was _way _heavier. At least five times heavier. _I can barely lift this thing... so why do they keep telling me I'm doing so well? _In between gasping for breath, because of the weight of the sword and the effort it took to lift it, Nicole managed to ask Boromir and Aragorn why exactly she was doing so well.

"Most women don't even lift swords," Aragorn commented. Nicole remembered Arwen's fighting capabilities. _No wonder he said most, not all._

"And even if they do, they won't learn how to use it. It's just a sharp, shiny plaything to them," Boromir said.

Nicole heard his tone of voice and was less than happy about it. "Hey! That's not very nice. We're not all blondes ya know!"

Boromir chuckled and ruffled her hair. "Indeed, just the ones who aren't men!"

"Why you little!!!!" Nicole dropped her sword and ran at Boromir, planning to tackle him or something. She wasn't thinking rationally at that moment. Boromir grabbed her though, and put her in a headlock. "OW!!! That hurts!!!"

Aragorn laughed. "Maybe we should teach her hand-to-hand combat too! I think she'd find it useful right now."

"Very funny," Nicole grumbled, and Boromir finally let her go. "You're just a big bully."

"Yes, I am," Boromir replied smiling, "but I'm a big bully who is teaching you how to fight properly."

"If I had a brother, you would be him," Nicole replied.

"Well, I'm honored to be considered the brother of the Lady Featherhall. By the way, what was your standing in Gaia?"

"Standing? You mean social rank? Hmm.... I was a princess, and I was to take the throne once my mother passed on. But now I've gotten myself lost, so no use in living in the past." Nicole laughed silently. _Ha, yeah right... me, a princess? I feel sorry for the country that I rule over._

Aragorn sheathed his sword. "You've had enough of the sword for today, I think it's too heavy for you after all. Shall I teach you some basics with my lighter dagger?"

Nicole agreed and Boromir watched this time. The dagger that Aragorn gave to Nicole was silver and didn't look too pretty. It wasn't a feminine dagger, that much was discernable. It's hilt was darker silver with a vine-y pattern and at the very end the metal was rounded off and an Elvish leaf was inscribed. The blade of it was six inches long, making the entirety of the dagger about ten inches. (A/N: need a pic of the dagger or the axe? or anything else, for that matter? e-mail me, morgaine@myst.net) Aragorn demonstrated that you didn't need to put your weight behind the dagger, like in the sword or axe. It was matter or keeping your wrist positioned right, so that you could move quickly and deftly, and putting pressure where it was needed. The dagger was by far the easiest thing to learn for Nicole. She had it down within fifteen minutes.

"Ha," she said once Aragorn was finished teaching. "I'm done. No more weapons for me. You should all be very happy you got out alive."

"I think we would have gotten out alive even if you weren't so deadly with a weapon," Aragorn joked, and handed her a belt out of his pack. "you need a sheath for the dagger or else you'll be poking yourself and others. Here, you clip it around like this." He fastened it by putting it through the belt loops of her jeans and then making a complicated knot right beside the sheath. It was made of leather, but was reinforced with a double layer and some metal to keep it in one piece. 

"Um, Aragorn? How do I take it off?" Nicole wondered.

"Take it off? Why would you want to rid yourself of your only protection?"

"Well, I'm assuming that the world isn't dangerous."

"Very much so. Keep it on, it's the one thing your life could depend on," Aragorn paused, as if for dramatic effect. He then pointed to a large rock. "Sit. I want to take a look at your wound to see how it is mending." Nicole sat obediently and rolled up her pant leg. Aragorn turned to Legolas and called him over. *Legolas, could you help me for a moment?* 

Nicole knew that Aragorn was perfectly capable of doing it by himself. She decided to see if she knew any other languages. _Hmmm... what language would Aragorn know that Legolas doesn't know? How about that really old one? What was it called? I can't remember... oh well, might as well try it. Think old thoughts...._

~Aragorn, why did you call him?~ she asked, hoping that it worked.

Apparently it did. Aragorn looked up startled. ~You know the old languages as well?~ Nicole nodded. ~I called him because I need his help.~

~No you don't.~

~Fine. I called him because you two need to get along if you are going to continue on our journey with us.~

Nicole sighed. Legolas was standing a few feet away, his brow slightly furrowed. _Ha, at least I can annoy him because I can talk a language he can't! _

*Well, are you going to just stand there?* she asked. *The man wants some help, here.*

Legolas approached reluctantly. He touched the wound lightly. *Does it still hurt here?*

*No.*

Legolas nodded, then touched it in another area. There, it hurt. A lot.

*Ow!* Nicole backed away and clutched her leg. *Meanie. That hurts.*

*Your leg is healing,* Legolas responded in a sour tone.

*Then why does it hurt?*

*The medicine is working. It might get a bit numb for a few days as well.*

*That's lovely,* Nicole replied sarcastically. Aragorn could see it was about to get ugly so he jumped in.

*Nicole has also to learn the bow and arrow, Legolas. Perhaps you could teach her?*

Legolas gave Aragorn a doubtful look. *Perhaps... when we reach an area with more trees and target's.* With that, he walked away and began to prepare a small fire for the evening. All of Nicole's practicing had taken up the afternoon and the sun was beginning to set already. The chill wind blew down from the mountain again. 

"Aragorn, pass me my sweater," she asked, since he was closer to her boulder than she was and also because her leg was still throbbing slightly. He gave her shirts to her then looked kind of awkward for a second. "Thanks. Bee in your bonnet?"

"Why do you wear such strange clothing?" he asked.

"It's normal in my land. I guess you mean that I wear pants, right? Oh, and probably my shirt too, right? Well, the women don't wear skirts usually unless it is for a special occasion. As for the shirts, it could be worse. A lot of women in my land wear shirts way smaller than this. Anything else?"

"You are a strange girl..." a pensive look crossed Aragorn's face for a moment, and then it was gone. 

_That was weird... I know I'm strange, it's not like you have to tell me. But this kind of strange isn't that bad... I do feel more comfortable here than I do at home--oops, I mean, on Earth. Still.... I kinda miss it. _Nicole dismissed her mild homesickness and followed to the area of The Hill where the group had decided to set up camp.

**A/N: Luckily for all my readers, Nicole has fixed up her attitude (I bribed her with frozen yogurt). Which means, more chapters! I think this story is really healthy for me... I mean, I never update this often! I've already started working on the sixth chapter. Whoo hoo!!!! Go me!!! And yay for all my readers, just because they put up with me. REVIEW!!!!!!!!!!! ~m~**


	6. A Knife In The Leg? Isn't That Supposed ...

**A/N: I'm SO SORRY!!!! It's been a while since I posted for this story, but my school work needs a LOT of catching up.... my marks are sliding thanks to this story. Oh well, it's too fun to stop! **The rating of this story was moved up because Nicole has a feisty temper... which means, she's gonna be swearing. But probably in French, and I won't translate unless you e-mail me. morgaine@myst.net ****

**Disclaimer: obviously, anything from Lord Of The Rings is Tolkien's and not mine. Nicole is mine. And The Hill. And Nicole's dagger. And anything else that is pertaining to her... duh.**

***Elvish talking*  
"English/Common"  
^Dwarvish^  
~old language that only Aragorn and Gandalf can understand~**

**Anything written in another language, will be written in that language. For example: if Nicole wants to say something in Japanese to Pippin, like hello, it will be written like this, "konichiwa". I won't put translations unless you e-mail me for them!!!**

**Ok, enough of this Author's note. On with the story! ~m~**

**Home Sweet Home**

**Chapter Six ~ A Knife In The Leg? Isn't that supposed to be "Dark"?**

Nicole dug into her meager rations as though it were a feast and a half, full of any kind of food you can imagine, as long as it tasted good. The hobbits watched her with some fascination and only a little bit of anger (that was slowly going away) since it seemed that they had found a kindred spirit who enjoyed food as much as they did. She noticed at one point that they were looking at her. 

"Um... yeah?" she asked.

Pippin shifted uncomfortably. "Gandalf wasn't _that _angry with me...." he mumbled.

The hobbits sensed that their friend wasn't going to say much else without prompting, so Merry stepped in. "What we mean to say is, we'd like to be friends. There's no use in us being all war-like, when we're going to be traveling together. We might as well be friends."

"Aww...." she said, tilting her head to one side. _The hobbits look so cute.... standing there all sad and everything. Aww... _She snapped out of it and replied. "That's so sweet you guys. I'm sorry for telling on you Pippin, but you have to admit, it was a life and death situation. It'd be great to be friends," she replied. The hobbits smiled broadly. This prompted an outburst of, "GROUP HUG!" from Nicole, which ended up in four hobbits being smushed by one very over-enthusiastic girl. _Alright, I knew that Elijah Wood was really cute as Frodo, but the real hobbits are so much nicer... except for their feet. _She straightened herself out. "Sorry.... I've had too much sugar.... or actually, I haven't had enough," she said. "Do you guys ever get that? I mean, if you don't eat enough, you get really REALLY hyper... because that's how I am now. I feel like I could run a marathon, only I can't because of my leg."

The hobbits stared at her for a moment. Then the whole group started laughing, and they continued that way for a while. They exchanged stories after the meal, and when they finally went to sleep, Nicole decided that the second day was _way _better than her first day on Middle Earth.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Gandalf came over and poked Nicole with his staff. She groaned and rolled over, mumbling something about a back ache. He stooped down beside her and shook her shoulder.

"Come now," he said. "It is time that we were moving on. We have much traveling to do today, and we must set out within a few minutes."

Nicole finally managed to pry open her eyes, but when she saw that it was Gandalf, she shrank back.

"I'm sorry about yesterday," Gandalf apologized, "but these are dangerous times, and you can never be too careful."

Nicole accepted his apology and they began to move out for the day of trekking after having a light breakfast. They left The Hill, after Nicole had a teary goodbye with her boulder, and they headed for Caradhras. Just like, Nicole noted, in the movie. The order of the Fellowship went like this: Gandalf, Legolas, and Aragorn leading them, followed by the hobbits, then Nicole, and finally, Boromir and Gimli bringing up the rear. Nicole drifted between the hobbits and the man and dwarf, slowly learning more and more about Middle Earth and the people in the Fellowship.

Meanwhile, at the front of the procession, Gandalf, Legolas and Aragorn were having a heated discussion.

"It is ridiculous to have that girl tagging along," Legolas stated. "You know she will only be a cause of trouble."

Aragorn objected, "She knows enough so that she may handle herself. Besides, you yourself called her a girl, can we simply leave her in the wild, left all alone with no defense and no direction?" Despite his long friendship with the Elf, Aragorn found that he could not understand his friend's rationalizing in this instance.

Gandalf cleared his throat, and wisely commented. "She will most likely be troublesome in certain circumstances." Legolas looked triumphant. "But Aragorn has a valid point." It was Aragorn's turn to be the winner. "_Both_ arguments are valid. But having Lady Featherhall with us does not change anything we are doing here. She cannot know about anything, and she cannot suspect that there is anything to hide. She will stay with us until we can find a suitable transport for her back to her homeland. Until that time comes, we will have to deal with her. Politely," he added, as an afterthought. They agreed and the talk changed to other matters. 

In the back of the procession, Nicole was in the process of complaining about her old life to Boromir and Gimli.

"And I had this horrible teacher for History..." she trailed off, remembering the class she had attended only two days ago. 

Boromir noticed her far-off expression and said quietly to Gimliy, "She is rapt. She must miss her home very much."

Gimli agreed gruffly. "Aye, but she talks as though it was torturous. She is a very strange girl."

Boromir nodded. "Indeed." He tapped Nicole on the shoulder right as she was about to walk into a patch of some prickly type of bush. She noticed the bush and side stepped it, bumping into Boromir. "Nicole, are you alright?"

"Huh?" she asked. "What, me? Yeah... why wouldn't I be?"

Boromir looked to Gimli for help. "Well," Gimli began, "you seem very saddened by your departure from your land. It must be difficult for you to talk about it so freely."

Nicole looked at them in wonder. She blinked suddenly and looked away quickly. "No, I'm fine..." she seemed sad for a moment, sad or distant, but then went back to being her usual self. "So! What's is like to be such royal people?"

They laughed. "But milady would now, seeing as she herself is a princess," Boromir replied.

"Well, yeah, technically, but titles don't matter as much as wealth does in my land. It's a stupid system. I want to hear more about you guys!"

They laughed merrily and talked about their lives in Middle Earth, Nicole listening attentively. When the talk progressed to such matters as politics, which Boromir and Gimli found fascinating (Nicole thought, _why would Gimli like politics???)_, Nicole left that conversation, and joined the hobbits, who were singing various songs. Their singing was horrible, mainly because they were impersonating Bill Ferny, and some of their less-liked friends and relatives (do I really need to mention that the Sackville-Bagginses were impersonated too?). Many days passed in this manner, and Nicole eventually lost track of time the way it had existed in her old world, where everything was so structured. Nicole also forgot her slight case of homesickness, except for sorely missing comfortable beds.

On one day, not so distinguishable from the others, Aragorn noticed that Nicole was still limping a little. As they were settling down for the night, he examined her wound again.

Aragorn traced the scar with a finger. "Hmm..."

"Hmm isn't a good thing, is it?" Nicole asked, beginning to get worried. Apparently Aragorn's healing skills were in need of a second opinion, because Aragorn had to call Legolas over to examine the wound too.

*What did you do?* Legolas asked, obviously blaming Nicole for it.

*I fell on a rock... duh* Nicole said, but then had to hide a smile. The word "duh" sounded so weird in Elvish.

Legolas ignored her and instead directed his speech towards Aragorn. *It's infected.*

*That's what I though,* Aragorn replied thoughtfully. *But I'm not sure how much, how long it'll last. Can you think of anything to keep it down, or how to heal it?*

*We don't have the supplies we need to treat it properly. It seems deep, because below the skin the muscle is too hardened. The best we could do for now would be to cut the wound open again and wash it with boiled water and some ______* (A/N: the blank is where Legolas said a word in Elvish that Nicole couldn't understand, and since the story is told mainly from her point of view, the reader *you guys* doesn't know the word either)

Nicole reacted immediately. *You are NOT cutting me open! It was bad enough when it was an accident, now you want to do it on purpose? Hell NO! And furthermore, do you have any idea how much boiling water is gonna hurt? And then you want to put whatever you said into it too? Wherever did you get the idea that I would agree to this?*

Legolas turned his back to her. Aragorn spoke, *It is a good idea. The wound might heal faster. Lady Nicole doesn't seem to agree to this. Do not worry, the plant is not poisonous.*

*Do you think I care if it's poisonous or not? The point is, it's gonna hurt a lot more than I care to withstand!*

Legolas began speaking in rapid Elvish to Aragorn, clearly frustrated, and Nicole was only able to catch a few words, such as "tie her," and "necessary to cut the wound." Needless to say, this did not make her the happiest person. She quickly rolled her pant leg down again and moved away from the ranger and Elf. Legolas noticed this movement and before Nicole had gone even half a step, his hand was clamped on to her wrist, really hard.

Nicole whimpered in pain, since that was the same wrist that she had sprained. Sure it had healed, just not completely. *Ow... that's gonna make a bruise. Meanie...* Legolas ignored her, as did Aragorn, who (Nicole noticed, to her dismay) was taking a dagger from his pack. *Oh... oh.... oh..... oh no! nonononononononono! Eek! Get away!* She tried to squirm away from him, but Legolas was still holding on to her wrist.

Boromir came over, amused by her struggling and panicked speech. "I suggest you do as they say," he said to her, taking hold of her other arm.

"That's a big risk, ya know," Nicole informed him, as he led her over to the boiling water with that elvish plant that Aragorn had prepared remarkably quickly. "I mean, if you're holding on to my arm, I'll grab yours. And as they're pouring in boiling hot water into my freshly opened leg, I'll grab your arm, and squeeze so much that it'll break."

Boromir shrugged. "I doubt that you could break my arm. Besides, you know it's for your own good."

Nicole mumbled under her breath, "Yeah? As in my good being my bad."

Nicole sat down by the fire, holding Boromir's hand very tightly. She felt like a little kid. _It's like going to the dentists... or for a shot to the doctor. Nothing to worry about. Just a little pinch, and it's over. Except they're slicing my leg... I hope I get out alive... I hope they get out alive too. _Unluckily for her fellow companions, they didn't know about Nicole's extreme fear of "medical stuff" as she put it. Anything that was poking her, or slicing her, or even an eye exam, she feared with a passion. Though, Nicole was kind of hoping for Legolas to be close to her legs, so that the second he cut her, she could kick him with her free leg. _That would be fun... and he deserves it too. Besides, he's an Elf and he won't feel a thing. _ Nicole sat imaging it, so caught up in the joys of kicking Legolas in the head, that she suddenly became aware that the dagger was poised dangerously close to her skin. She gripped Boromir's hand tighter and shut her eyes. "Oh, I can't look, I can't look. Just get it over with. I can't look."

Nicole didn't have any super-duper Elf hearing, or even somewhat enhanced hearing. In fact, some people could argue that she was deaf. But by some fluke of nature, she managed to hear her skin being sliced open. It was a sick sound, kind of like a rip, but then a squish because blood came from the wound. A split second after she heard it, she felt the pain. _Lovely, comforting, nice, happy PAIN. Yeah right, more like horrible, bone-breaking, I'm-not-going-to-live-through-this PAIN. _She felt a scream welling up inside of her, so she brought up her other arm, the one that wasn't squeezing Boromir's hand, and bit down on it hard. 

Then came the boiling hot water mix... surprisingly, the heat of the water was so great that it actually numbed the wound. Or maybe that was the elf-plant. Nicole didn't really figure it out, because she chose that moment to fall asleep. 

Yes, you read right. She fell asleep. She didn't faint from the pain. She didn't black out or anything. She just fell asleep.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Boromir looked surprisingly at the girl. His hand had just been in a considerable amount of pain, and now it was fine. Lady Nicole had fallen asleep and was now slouched on the ground, breathing softly. Her face was bereft of all signs of pain and she seemed perfectly fine if you ignored her still-bleeding leg. He turned to Aragorn and Legolas. "What did you do?"

Aragorn surpressed a laugh. Legolas looked relieved to be ridden of Nicole. Oddly enough, Gandalf was the one to speak up.

"It's quite alright. She's only asleep," he said, and they all looked at him quizzically. "I slipped in a herb that induces sleep into the water for the wound. It worked through her body and made her fall asleep." Legolas looked hopeful. "She'll wake up in the morning." His face fell.

"Any particular reason why you chose to do so?" Boromir asked, still uncertain about the reason for all of this.

"Excellent question! I suppose the answer should be quite clear, especially with the wind." Gandalf's message clearly didn't get across to Boromir, so he explained further. "We're going up the mountain tomorrow. We all need our rest, and I'm quite certain that we would all rest better if Lady Nicole was quiet, and stronger tomorrow to avoid too many halts."

His clear, simple reasoning finally made sense. But all the talk about sleeping had gotten everyone ready for a rest. They moved Nicole away from a batch of rocks that she had fallen asleep on, and covered her with a blanket. The hobbits had already fallen asleep and soon the camp was quiet. The only sound left was the cold wind of the mountain whistling through the rocks.

**A/N: Oh...my...goodness..... *pants* that was SO much work. I feel like I just ran a 5k race. *faints* Ok, well, I'm very sad to say this, but I have to write up a story for my friend, so I don't think I'll be posting to this for a while. I guess maybe in the last week of April, I'll be able to start typing again. Until then... um.... amuse yourselves by thinking of as many different insults as you can for Nicole to say to Legolas... and e-mail them to me! ~m~**


	7. Tears For Home

**A/N: WHEEEE!!!!!!! Reviews are fun! *hint hint* Anyways, thanks to all my reviewers for bothering to read this story. I am very happy to say that it doesn't seem like a Mary Sue to me... I mean, at least Nicole hasn't fallen madly in love with Legolas.... yet. I'm not quite sure what I'm going to do with that yet, but since they seem to hate each other quite a bit, I think they're just going to go on hating each other. Besides, Legolas is mine, Nicole can't have him!!!!!! If you want a Legolas romance, go read my other LotR story. It's going to end up being a romance. **

**Also, terribly sorry about this, but at some point in time, there has to be a chapter which is actually serious. So, here it is. Nicole isn't too happy, as you'll soon find out. But I'll try to stick some humor in anyways.**

**Oh, and as a warning, those of you that hate it when the main character sings, too bad for you. ~m~**

**Disclaimer: Tolkien is a genius, I am not. I think that clarifies everything.**

**Home Sweet Home**

**Chapter Seven ~ Tears For Home**

Nicole got bored of walking very easily. The only thing that had changed was the weather, and the order of the way the group was walking. The order was now Gandalf and Aragorn at the front, followed by Nicole, followed by the hobbits, then Gimli and Boromir at the rear. But still, it was boring beyond belief. She amused herself by putting a bit more drama in the Fellowship's lives. In her thoughts, of course, because if she did it out loud, she was worried that they'd cut her leg open again.

_Gimli turned to Legolas, who had just saved him from dying from an attack of flying tree-monkeys._

_"Legolas, I know I hate you because you are an over-obsessed Elf, very mean, ugly, too graceful, and what is with the prancing?" Gimli said with a very tearful and emotional expression on his face. He continued, wiping his tears with his overly-bushy beard. "Despite all of your painfully obvious flaws and imperfections, you're like a brother to me. I love you!"_

_Opening his arms wide, so as to better crush Legolas with his powerful hug, Gimli is stopped by Legolas' reply to Gimli's speech._

_"I love me too."_

Nicole burst into a fit of giggles, which got annoyed stares from everyone in the Company, especially Legolas because of his super-sensitive ears, and the fact the Nicole was walking right behind him. Legolas said, not too quietly, to Aragorn, "I'll take the rear-guard." He went to the back of the group, and Boromir came forward to talk with Aragorn about some boring stuff. 

Nicole tuned out of that conversation and just blanked for a while. The soap-opera game she had been playing wasn't fun anymore, because she'd run out of insults for Legolas, compliments on Gandalf's hair, and comments on the short stature of five of the members of the Fellowship. Instead, she tried to remember as many lines from the "Mary-Sue" parodies of LotR she used to read. Thinking of fanfics made her think of computers, which made her think of technology, which made her think of how Middle-Earth had absolutely none at all, which made her think of Earth, and how it was fun. _Except it wasn't because... well, it doesn't matter. I can't remember all that much about Earth anyways. _She repeated that in her head, and wiped her eyes, trying to keep them moisture-free. 

Inconveniently, Boromir chose that time to turn around to ask her something. Nicole thought hurriedly of an excuse, then decided to sneeze. She made it sound really big, or allergic, or something. The sneeze made it seem like she was just sick or allergic to something, so Boromir didn't really get the big picture. _ Ha, no wonder he's blonde... but nice._ she added, because he quickly gave her a cloak.

"Thanks," she said.

"Are you sick?" Boromir asked, not waiting for an answer. "It is not remarkable, we are getting closer to the mountain, the weather is colder. I would not have chosen this path if it had been at all possible. But they insist that Caradhras is the only way."

Nicole nodded. The topic of geography and weather was extremely boring to her. Luckily, Boromir turned back to Aragorn and continued their discussion. Nicole's thoughts of Earth came back to her. Out of her obscure, drifting thoughts, she heard a single melody reach out. She searched her memory of choir songs to find the key, the artist, the occasion, anything about it. Finding nothing, she assumed it was a song that she heard often on the radio. She couldn't remember to hearing it on the radio either. She finally remembered hearing it on a TV show long ago. Nicole didn't know why she would remember that song, but she remembered it clearly. She hummed the melody under her breath, comforted by the memory of what she used to call her home. Suddenly she remembered Legolas' Elf-hearing, and abruptly stopped. She'd only ever sung in a group, and was embarrassed if anyone ever caught her singing solo.

Deciding that brooding was better left for private contemplation, Nicole joined the hobbits in a rousing game of "Name That Rock". Apparently, Nicole wasn't the only one bored out of her mind. The hobbits were quickly running out of names.

"Do you have any suggestions?" Pippin asked.

Nicole thought for a moment, then pointed to a rock on the left. "That's Bob." 

Pippin shook his head and said quite seriously, "We've already used that name. Pick another one."

Nicole laughed at his seriousness, then pointed to a different rock. "Ok then. That's Hewey." She picked another rock close by, "That's Louie." Choosing a third rock to complete the duck trio, she concluded, "And that's Dewey."

Merry nodded, "That's better." They continued they're game for a long time, most of the unusual names coming from Nicole, along with a surprising amount of names from Sam. Of course, most of them were the names of plants. The rest of the day they spent trying to make up new names because they ran out. Boromir and Gimli would help out occasionally, but Legolas, Aragorn, and Gandalf kept on being serious. _Spoil sports, _Nicole thought bitterly, _I guess it's too much to ask for them to have fun once in a while. At least Gandalf doesn't think I'm a spy. And Aragorn is pretty nice to me. And then there's Legolas... _Nicole's thoughts trailed off because thinking of Legolas made her think of her soap-opera version, which made her laugh, and that would just make everyone angry at her all over again.

The day passed slowly, and when they made camp Nicole felt unreasonably tired. After everyone ate their meager portion of dinner and deciding the night watches, they settled down for the night. Gimli was taking the first watch. Nicole lay awake for a while, able to make out the soft breathing of four sleeping hobbits.

"Gimli?" she called softly, unable to fall asleep just yet.

"Aye," he answered gruffly and as quietly as he could manage.

Nicole paused for a moment. Her thoughts seemed too tangled right now to say anything that would make sense. In the end, she sighed quietly and murmured, "Good night," before rolling over and falling into a fitful sleep. Her dreams were glimpses of her old life, images seen as if she was looking through a shattered glass. One of the more disturbing images was a graceful porcelain ballerina spinning in slow circles. Music box melodies accompanied the image. In the real world, Nicole's body shuddered and rolled over again, shifting position. The dreamscape changed now, and Nicole was looking through the cracked glass at a garden during a rainstorm. The tinkling melody changed to the song without a name that Nicole had remembered earlier. This picture was more calming and she was lulled into a false sense of security. The glass shattered and Nicole's eyes opened suddenly and her body tensed. _Geez Nicky, it was only a dream. More like nightmare... Breathe. Calm down. _She waited for her pulse to slow down and breathed slowly and quietly. 

Legolas had taken the watch now, she noticed, and was staring up at the stars. Nicole resisted the urge to giggle, because it was so unlike her soap-opera self-loving Legolas to be pensive. She felt like spontaneously grabbing a pair of scissors and chopping his blonde hair into a nice mushroom cut. _Let's see if he still loves himself after that._ She smiled at the thought. Nicole soon found herself staring up at the stars too, and just thinking about the way her life used to be. Unaware of her actions, she began humming the familiar song again. By the time she had realized that she was humming, she had actually started singing the song, even though she didn't know that she knew the words. She sang in English, happy that she was at least able to remember the language she used to speak with frequency. Singing softly to herself, she was able to momentarily forget where she was, and that she was still in the company of an Elf that was awake.

I waited 'til I saw the sun  
I don't know why I didn't come  
I left you by the house of fun  
I don't know why I didn't come  
I don't know why I didn't come  
  
When I saw the break of day   
I wished that I could fly away  
Instead of kneeling in the sand  
Catching teardrops in my hand  
  
My heart is drenched in white  
You'll be on my mind  
Forever  
  
Out across the endless sea  
I would die of ecstasy  
But I'll be a bag of bones  
Driving down the road alone  
  
My heart is drenched in white  
You'll be on my mind  
Forever  
  
Something has to make you run  
I don't know why I didn't come  
I feel as empty as a drum  
I don't know why I didn't come  
I don't know why I didn't come  
I don't know why I didn't come

As the last note escaped from her lips, the lulling spell was broken and she was aware again of her surroundings, and the reality stung her harder than she would have expected. A silver tear spilled from her lashes and slipped down her cheek. _I thought I was supposed to feel at home here, _her depressed heart argued. _But you do feel at home here, _rational thoughts refused to accept her hearts emotions, _you're just homesick. It'll go away, once you get used to this place. _ "I'll never get used to it," she whispered quietly.

A sudden shift to her far left reminded her of Legolas' presence. She tensed suddenly, remembering all the instances in the novels when some Elf had used his or her super-hearing... and realized that he had probably heard her singing. _ Oh great, I'm never going to live this down. The one thing I never wanted to happen, happens here: the place where I am supposed to fit in and be all secure and stuff. Screw that philosophy. _She turned onto her right side, so that she faced away from him. She breathed deeply and quietly, trying to restrain herself from grabbing her dagger and giving him that mushroom cut she'd envisioned.

_Everything will be OK in the morning. Maybe he'll forget about it. I mean, if you were 2000-something years old, how good can your memory be? _The thought half-convinced Nicole. _Everything will be OK in the morning. Everything will be OK in the morning. Everything will be OK in the morning. _ Repeating her mantra silently, she eventually managed to fall asleep, promising herself that she would stop thinking about Earth. _Everything will be OK in the morning. Everything will be OK in the morning._

Legolas turned his attention back to the sky silently, watchfully.

**A/N: Grr... I don't like how I ended this chapter. Hopefully you were all able to survive the sappiness. I'll try to keep it out of the story from now on, unless you guys like it, then I'll put more in. It's all about the reader! **and the reviews** LOL! And, as an extra Disclaimer: Don't Know Why belongs to Norah Jones. If I ever put in an original song, then I'll tell you about it. But until that day (never) comes, it's not mine!!!! Ok, well, I'm very sorry that this chapter took so long, but lots and lots of stuff is going on right now. I'll try to get Chapter Eight up soon. As in, maybe a week? Lets hope so... Well, I'll let you all get on with the reviews! *hint hint* ~Morgaine~**


	8. La Di Da Spells Trouble

**A/N: Reviews are a writer's best friend! And since I've gotten some reviews that the sappiness wasn't so bad, I think we can have more serious chapters in this story. Thank you to Mellon! I promise you that there will be one extremely sappy chapter, but you'll have to wait a bit. Actually, now that I think of it, there's going to be two. At least. So all of you have to keep on reading and reviewing! **

**Oh yeah, and as for the title of this chapter: "La-di-da" is my lame imitation of somebody singing.**

**Disclaimer: The jingle for goldfish isn't mine... French wasn't invented by me, neither was Lord of the Rings. Though I really wish I could own Legolas, Frodo, and possibly the Ring, I do not. Maybe one day... *laughs evilly and begins plotting* ~moi~**

**Home Sweet Home**

**Chapter Eight ~ La Di Da Spells Trouble**

The next morning broke clear and crisp, and Nicole found it very hard to leave the warmth of sleep. When Boromir dumped cold water on her head, it became much easier to get up. She groaned and rolled up her stuff.

"You know, I always knew that sleep was the best part of the day," she commented as she munched on what little provisions they had left. "But I never fully appreciated it's value until now." She twisted her neck and it cracked a couple of times. "I've also noticed that Middle-Earth should consider invested in motels and comforters."

Boromir laughed and finished packing everything onto Bill the pony. The hobbits were huddled over in a little group by a patch of rocks, laughing excitedly.

"Hey guys, whatcha got there?" Nicole called.

"Snow!" Pippin yelled gleefully and threw a handful of the white stuff into the air. It quickly melted.

"We will start climbing today," Aragorn said as he pulled on his leather overcoat. "Be prepared," he advised the group.

Nicole pulled up the hood on her sweatshirt and was trying to figure out exactly how you were supposed to wear a cloak. "You would think it was easy," she mumbled to herself, "but cloak-wearing is an art... you need a university degree to figure this out!"

Gandalf chuckled merrily. "It is not nearly so difficult as you have described it," he said. He deftly pinned the cloak so that it fell perfectly over her shoulders and the hood was properly positioned. "There. Now all we can hope for is less than a blizzard," he said and smiled kindly at her.

"Wow, you really are a god," Nicole noted, admiring his excellent pinning skills. "You're going to have to teach me how to do that."

They departed at last, everyone dressed more warmly, and they began walking again. The incline was steeper today, and Nicole could tell that they were getting up the mountain because the amount of snow increased. The days walk was more tiring as well, because the air was starting to thin and they made camp at nightfall gladly. The fire wasn't very big, so Nicole was somewhat grumpy at the lack of warmth and air, and her legs were frozen as well as very over-worked. Nicole didn't get much exercise usually... this was the most she had ever walked in her life.

"Guys, I might as well say this now," she said, rubbing her legs to restore feeling. "I don't think I'm going anywhere tomorrow."

Merry smiled broadly. "Excellent. If she's having a holiday, I want one too." The hobbits all agreed and Gimli was starting to warm up to the idea too, but Aragorn and Gandalf interrupted their short-lived happiness.

"Gentlemen," Aragorn began, but Nicole cleared her throat loudly. "And lady. We cannot stop, and should you want to stay, you would not have a guide, and become lost. I assure you, that would be a worse fate than halting our journey for a day."

"Indeed," confirmed Gandalf. "Time is growing shorter, and the mountain pass will soon become too difficult to cross. We must move on. And if your legs are tired, that is nothing compared to the aches you will feel over the next few days. You must overcome those trivial weaknesses."

Nicole's head was reeling from the over-excessive use of big fancy words and all the noble talking. She put a hand to her head. "Dudes, you have got to stop talking like that, or else I'm going to, and I don't think I'll do good," she mumbled. Gimli handed her a hot substance in a cup. She took it hesitantly. "What's this stuff?"

"It helps to ease the pains of walking, and clears a foggy head," he replied.

"Aww... thanks, that's so sweet of you," Nicole replied. "But I don't really have a headache. And this stuff looks like mud. But honestly, you're all guys here. And I know what guys talk like normally. Just chill out."

Pippin laughed.

"I don't get it," Nicole said after swallowing Gimli's mud. "What's so funny?"

He kept on laughing. "Chill out. I doubt that we could get any colder," he replied and kept laughing. The other hobbits smiled weakly, but it was obvious that they all thought Pippin was insane.

"Right," Nicole said. Her grumpiness returned, though she was surprised to see that Gimli's drink had actually helped her aching legs quite a bit. "Whatever. You people need to fix your vocabulary. I'm going to sleep." She huddled closer to the fire and started to lay down.

"So soon?" Boromir asked. "But the night is young, and we have much to discuss."

"Like what?" she said rubbing her eyes to try to stay awake.

"Perhaps you could tell us a tale from your land," Gandalf suggested.

"As a princess, I am sure that you have a lovely singing voice," Legolas said, the first thing he had said to her all day.

_Oh no_, Nicole thought, _The meanie actually heard me yesterday. And now he's using it against me. I'm getting my revenge tonight... I'm sure it isn't that hard to chop that lovely golden hair into a mushroom cut._

Sam piped up. "Yes, a song. It would cheer this dreary night." The other hobbits joined in, encouraging her to sing.

Reluctantly, she sat up again. "Fine," she said. "I'm only doing it for the little ones." 

"Hey!" Pippin objected. "I'm older than you are!"

"It's not polite to talk to a girl about her age, you know," she replied.

Legolas interrupted their banter. "Will you sing now?"

She glared at him. "Tu es un salaud," she said, using her French skills to confuse them and smiling to get them even more confused.

_I'm sharpening my dagger... chopping time tonight, _she thought and then tried to think of the most ridiculous song she could possibly remember. _ If it's in English, they won't even know what it means. Westron isn't the same as English... so I'm safe with anything. _

"Alright," she said as the perfect song popped into her head. She began singing in English.

_Here's our Jingle for Goldfish,  
That's baked and not fried Goldfish.  
The yummy snack that smiles back,  
Until you bite their heads off.  
Did you know their made with real cheese,  
Even though they look like fishies.  
The snack that smiles back, Goldfish!_

Since that was a very short song by Middle-Earth standards, she added in a few more verses, mostly about fish, though some mention purple elephants, chain saws and hair, hot chocolate, and other things that made no sense at all. All in all, the Jingle for Goldfish got really really messed up, and Nicole felt a whole lot happier. She ended the song with the real Jingle for Goldfish again. Once she was done, she had a revelation. _Singing in front of people isn't that bad. Just when it's people that you don't particularly like so much. _

Needless to say, she left her audience speechless.

"Well," said Gandalf. "It was a very emotional story, I can see that."

"You do indeed have a lovely singing voice," said Aragorn. "I could not understand the words, but it was clear to me that the story must be very dear to the people of your land."

The rest of her reviews were pretty much the same, except Sam asked if she could teach him the song and Frodo wanted to write it down. Legolas just smirked. Gimli and Boromir were proud of her, which Nicole found odd but cool. Those two were kind of like older brothers... except less annoying. 

"Ok, I'm done, so now I'm going to sleep," she said and started to fall asleep again.

"Encore!" the hobbits cried out.

"You're kidding me," she replied. "I just sang for almost fifteen minutes straight, and you want more? My brain can't handle it." With that she went back to sleep and was dreaming within minutes.

In her dream she was again looking through the cracked glass. _Not this again. I'm not staying here. _The picture behind the glass changed, kind of melted, and became a cold dark place that had a feeling of strong fear attached to it. _Moria. I guess that's where we'll end up soon. _The picture shifted again and Loth Lorien appeared, but here the feeling was a kind of nervousness, as though it was an uncertain future. _I don't want to dream about this anymore. _As though her weird dream had heard her, the glass shattered again, and she sat up suddenly waking up.

She was annoyed and frowned deeply. _If I get that stupid dream one more time, I'm going to... I don't even know what I'm going to do. It's just a pointless dream, and I'm sick of it. _She shook off the last of her weariness. Since her arrival in Middle Earth, she found that she didn't need as much sleep. It probably had something to do with the atmospheric pressure, or something else that she would have learned in science class if she had bothered to pay attention. She looked around her. Gimli was on watch, but he was busy sharpening his axe again and hadn't noticed her waking up. 

Nicole smiled and slipped her dagger out of the sheath at her waist. _Revenge is so sweet... _ she crawled slowly to the place where Legolas was resting. Nicole could only hope that he had decided to close his eyes, even though Elves usually don't do that. _The amount of non-Elves around him must have rubbed off on him, _she noted, when she saw that he actually had his eyes closed. She reached out with her left hand and gently picked up a handful of golden hair. She bit her lip hard to keep from laughing (A/N: think, "MUWAHAHAHA!!!!"). 

As she was bringing her right hand forward, the dagger's blade was a tiny fraction of an inch away from the hair, her peripheral vision picked up on some movement. A split second later, her right wrist was in a considerable amount of pain and the dagger clattered to the ground. She gasped and noticed a prick of pain at her throat. Her brain finally registered what her eyes were seeing. Legolas had a hand clamped firmly around her wrist and one of his knives was pressing into her throat, and from the feel of things, the knife had just pierced her skin, causing a pinprick of blood to appear. His blue eyes were filled with a fierceness that terrified her. Nicole could barely breathe now, for fear of drawing more blood. Time froze as they each waited for the next move...

**A/N: My first cliffie! Well, maybe not, but it's the first good one! Anyways, I'm hoping that with this chapter, we can pull the review count all the way up to 15! Only four reviews everyone, it isn't that hard! And, on a bit of inspiration, I'm going to try to put some of your ideas into the stories! So in your reviews, write about what you think will happen next in the story! THERE IS NO LIMIT ON IDEAS!!!!! You can put fifty ideas for Chapter Nine if you want to. I can't promise that I'll use everyone's, but I'll keep them in mind for future chapters too. Thanks to everyone who has reviewed so far! **

**Ok, now do you see that little purple-blue button? Click! ~moi~**


	9. Effects and Affections

**A/N: Yay! Fourteen reviews so far! Thank you Mellon, for your idea. You'll see it used pretty soon! Just read. Hopefully this chapter will be longer than the past few. I thought they were pretty long, but I guess not. This one isn't that long either. Oh well. Surprisingly, no one asked for a translation of the French phrase Nicole said to Legolas. Which is just as well, because it wasn't a very nice thing to say.   
Oh yeah, just a reminder: *Elvish talking* and ^Dwarvish^**

**Disclaimer: LotR isn't mine. And since I'm sure most of you skipped the Author's Note to read the chapter, I'll stop now so you can find out what happened. ~moi~**

**Home Sweet Home**

**Chapter Nine ~ Effects and Affections**

...

As she was bringing her right hand forward, the dagger's blade was a tiny fraction of an inch away from the hair, her peripheral vision picked up on some movement. A split second later, her right wrist was in a considerable amount of pain and the dagger clattered to the ground. She gasped and noticed a prick of pain at her throat. Her brain finally registered what her eyes were seeing. Legolas had a hand clamped firmly around her wrist and one of his knives was pressing into her throat, and from the feel of things, the knife had just pierced her skin, causing a pinprick of blood to appear. His blue eyes were filled with a fierceness that terrified her. Nicole could barely breathe now, for fear of drawing more blood. Time froze as they each waited for the next move...

Nicole tried to back away slowly, fearful for her life. She hadn't expected that her prank could have gone so wrong. As soon as she moved, the knife came forward, keeping the point pressed to her skin. She stopped moving. She let go of the hair she had clenched in her left hand unconsciously. Using her only free hand, she lifted it slowly in a gesture of surrender. Nicole's fingers found the tip of the knife and pushed it gently away from her neck.

Legolas remained staring at her angrily, keeping hold of her right wrist, where she was sure a bruise was forming. However, as her fingers pushed the blade away, he took it back and sheathed it with one hand in a fluid motion. Her breath was shaky and her heart was pounding so hard, Nicole was sure she would faint in a second. 

*Sorry,* Nicole was startled by the sound of a soft voice, and then realized it was her own. The Elvish words seemed unworthy on her tongue, as though, as a meager human girl, she shouldn't have the privilege of speaking Elvish. It had never been that way before, and she felt ashamed for using the language. Nicole lowered her head a little, so that she was staring down instead of holding her eyes locked with the prince.

Luckily, Legolas loosened his grip on her wrist, though not letting go completely.

*I am sorry,* she repeated, because the silence had stretched out and had begun to consume her. She used a more proper form because she was aware for the first time, of Legolas' royal status. Nicole was also painfully aware of the fact that she could be executed for what she did. It was not a comforting thought.

The silence grew again. The lack of acknowledgement of the apology had a devastating impact on Nicole. Her throat seized up, and she found it harder to breathe. Now she had to breathe through her nose in short pauses, and could feel the effects of not getting enough oxygen. Suddenly, the need to breathe in the immediate moment overtook the need to live through her possible execution. She blinked hard, trying to focus. _C'mon Nicole. Breathe in, breathe out, breathe in, breathe out. _The pressure on her wrist seemed more intense than before. _I thought he had let go... _Nicole's thoughts became confused and practically incoherent. _Breathe in... the world is spinning... breathe out... don't faint, you're stronger than this. _

She felt her muscles slackening and fought to stay conscious. Her mind lost control over her body, and for a split second, the two seemed separate. Nicole could see her self, but as a tiny person on the huge expanse that was Middle Earth. Her mind's eye could see the entire continent. As she looked on the land that seemed peaceful now, she grieved for what it would go through in the next year, as the Ring tried to take control. Her spirit looked up at the night sky, at the strange stars, and they brought no comfort. It was as if the world had been abandoned from the care of a greater power, left to care for itself. This entire revelation happened in less than a second, and then the feel of cold steel against her palm brought her back

Nicole had slumped forward, and her palm had landed on her dropped dagger blade. She blinked her eyes, and it seemed to her that an Elvish inscription on the blade glittered momentarily. Breathing came easily again, and her senses had come back to normal, so that she could now see that Legolas had finally released his grip on her wrist, and his blue eyes now held concern. _That guy changes emotions faster than the speed of light. _Nicole was happy to see that at least her way of thinking hadn't changed. She sat up straight again and pushed her hair out of her face. _I'm going to have to do something about this hair. But now how am I going to deal with this situation? Talk about awkward. _She was spared the trouble of figuring that out because Legolas finally spoke up.

*Are you all right?*

*Yeah, fine,* she mumbled, the two words toppling over each other.

A silence came again. What was there to say?

*Get some rest. First light is only an hour or two away,* he said with out emotion, and moved off to relieve Gimli of the night watch.

Nicole went back to where her blanket was and tried to fall asleep. Gimli soon came over and was fairly close to Nicole, which allowed for talking without waking others.

^What happened?^ the Dwarf asked gruffly, though Nicole could tell that he was truly concerned.

She smiled half-heartedly. ^A good joke gone terribly wrong.^

^How did it turn out?^

She sighed softly. ^Well, I'm pretty sure I've made a royal enemy.^

Gimli grinned, but she could barely tell through his beard. ^I could take care of him... a couple of swings of my axe. Your problem would be solved.^

Nicole grinned back. ^Good idea... but no thanks. I'm just happy to know that at least I have one person on my side.^

^I am happy to be on your side^ he replied.

She managed to fall asleep feeling somewhat better. The weird dream went away and she could sleep normally again. When she woke up again, it was first light and despite her lack of sufficient sleeping time, she felt refreshed. _Or maybe it's just this cold mountain air. _

"How are you this morning, Nicole?" Pippin asked her. She found the use of her name a bit odd. He pronounced it differently than how everyone else said it. She shoved it aside as meaningless information.

"I'm good, how are you?" she replied politely.

"Well, I wasn't sure, but now I am having a good day," he answered.

_Ok... _she thought, _that's a weird answer. Whatever, he's short, so he must have a smaller brain too. _She laughed at her thought. Pippin thought she was laughing at his humor, but she let him keep thinking that.

This day's walking was harder, and Nicole's muscles definitely felt the difference. Added on to yesterday's walking pains, she now had a headache from the thinning air. As they climbed higher, the temperature dropped and by noon, the whole ground was covered with about three centimeters of snow. Their lunch break was five minutes long.

"With any luck, we'll reach the summit in only a few days," Gandalf said, looking up at the jagged peak of Caradhras.

"Only a few days? And then what?" Nicole asked.

"We have to descend the other side, which will also take four or five days," Boromir replied.

"Oh. So basically, I'm spending another week and a half as an ice cube?" Nicole said. They looked at her blankly.

"You don't even know what an ice cube is?" she asked. Apparently they didn't so she just made something up about it being a delicacy in the land where she came from.

During the day, Nicole tried to observe the way that Gimli, Boromir and Legolas acted. _Hmm, so Gimli and Boromir are kind of like my brothers. That's sweet. Now I don't have to fight for myself... this could work out as a benefit. Legolas... huh... well, he hasn't freaked out on me yet, so that's a good sign. But he hasn't talked to me at all. That's not different, though. He never talks to me. Whatever, if he forgot about the whole hair incident, then I can forget about it too. _

Nicole's observations of the three of them were informative, so she watched the rest of the Fellowship. As she had always known, Sam was incredibly loyal to Frodo and he showed it too. Aragorn was really serious most of the time, but she was pretty sure he knew how to have fun. Gandalf was old... and not much else, other than being Wise, which deserved a capital W, in Nicole's opinion. She noticed that all of them had rubbed off on her, and she was starting to become more "Middle-Earthian". Merry was surprisingly smart and clever. And a practical joker, but he had been kind enough not to play any jokes on her... yet. But when Nicole observed Pippin for a while, she noticed that he was observing her. In fact, he was staring at her.

"Hey buddy," she said, trying to get him to snap out of it.

"Hello."

"Whatcha lookin at?" she asked.

"..." silence from his end.

"Hello? Earth to Pippin?" she asked. _Geez, this guy is a regular weirdo, isn't he?_

"What?" he asked, finally snapping out of it. "I'm sorry, what did you say?"

"Just asking if you've ever seen a person before," she replied sarcastically.

"Of course," he replied. "What a silly question."

"Well, have you ever seen a girl before?" maybe he had stayed hidden in a closet all his life or something.

"Yes," he replied, obviously not getting it.

"Ok. Great." Much to Nicole's dismay, Pippin kept looking at her.

"Are you ok?" 

He nodded. 

"Are you deficient?" 

He nodded. 

She started laughing. "Haha, you're deficient." He kept staring. "Ok buddy, now you're freaking me out." He kept staring. Nicole moved away and started walking more towards the other, more normal, hobbits.

"Hello Nicole," they greeted her.

"Is Pippin ok?" she asked, truly concerned.

"Course he is," said Merry. "He's a bit slow, but he's fine."

"Ok, if you say so," she answered.

"Why do you ask?" Frodo said.

"Well, he's been acting weird lately. Have you noticed?" she asked.

"Maybe he's been eating something. Some plants can be very dangerous," offered Sam as an explanation.

"Maybe the mountain is getting the better of him," was Frodo's explanation.

Merry laughed. "No, I know! He's taken a fancy to you!" he said, laughing.

Nicole paled. "You can't be serious," she said, not quite sure what to make of it. The hobbits seemed to agree. _I'll just keep away from him for now... hopefully he'll get over it. _"You are serious... Do you think maybe it will wear off or something?" Nicole asked, moving even farther away from the already distant Pippin. Eventually she just left the hobbits and sought out the protection of Aragorn, because they seemed to be scared of him.

"So... how much longer are we going to be walking?" she asked out of pure boredom.

"If you are tired already, then I have only bad news for you," he answered. After Nicole took a second to translate his weird way of talking, her shoulders slumped.

"Meanie," she grumbled. "It's like this whole day has been designed to make me mad... it's so unf--" she cut off her sentence abruptly with a sneeze. "You've got to be kidding me!" She sneezed again. "Great, now I'm sick." Another sneeze. "Let's look at the bright side of this," she said to Aragorn. "At least I can still talk normally." Sneeze. And then a coughing fit. "Oh this is just swell," she rasped through her itchy throat, which promoted another cough.

Nicole's sneezing and coughing had attracted the attention of the other members of the Fellowship. They all looked amused, especially Legolas. _Stupid idiot... I'll get him... somehow... _she thought. 

"Yeah sure, hahaha, let's all laugh at Nicole," she said. "Honestly, is there anybody here that is normal?" The looks that they gave her clearly said that she was the not-normal one. She glared back at them. "You and your stupid immune systems."

**A/N: get it? Effects- getting into a fight with Legolas.... Affections- lol, Pippin.... another effect is she's gotten sick from the mountain... Oh yeah, there's going to be something in the next chapter that you guys might think I stole from another author (the Elfin Child... v. good author!) but I actually thought of it a while ago... but whatever, put Nicole and the Fellowship on a mountain, and its bound to happen. **

**Now I know that all of you are very dedicated readers and you love me very much, so maybe this time we can actually make it all the way to 15 reviews? We're at 14 already... just one!**

**And, finally, I want to let you all know what this story is doing to me: I've actually gotten sick, just like Nicole. My marks have dropped a LOT, except in English. And I have a ton of projects due in the next few days (one is due tomorrow), none of which I have started.**

**REVIEW!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! ~moi~**


	10. Mountains High and Snowballs

**A/N: Well, at least we got to 18. me is sad. when me is sad, me no write. You're only hurting yourselves by not reviewing!**

**Disclaimer: LotR isn't mine. If it was, I'd be a millionaire.**

******July 1, 2003. Chapter re-posted because HOBBITS DON'T WEAR SHOES!!!! thanks for pointing that out, Feathers of wind!******

**Home Sweet Home**

**Chapter Ten ~ Mountains High and Snowballs**

_Soggy shoes, frozen toes, shivering cold, and frozen nose_. You'd think it couldn't get any worse, because Nicole had already gotten to the extent where her thoughts began to rhyme. But it can get so much worse... and it did, when she found a patch of ice and saw her reflection.

"AHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!" Nicole screamed and covered her face with her hands, hyperventilating. "Ew, ew, ew, ew, ew!"

The traveling men stopped and stared at her, wondering what sort of tragedy had befallen Nicole now. She had been complaining for days about the snow and the cold and her cold, and she didn't get any cheerier when they decided to go back down the mountain and go through caves instead. The only men of the Fellowship that could stand to talk to her and endure her whining were the hobbits, but even that wasn't fun because Pippin still seemed to be infatuated with her. So naturally, it was he who asked her what was wrong this time.

"My hair! Oh my beautiful, lovely hair! It's horrible!" she wailed, running her fingers through it, trying desperately to make it look decent again.

"What's wrong with your hair?" asked Legolas, unintentionally bringing attention to himself.

"It's tangled and messy and ugly and ruined!" she replied. "I don't get it: your hair is perfectly straight and shiny, and mine is all grit and grimy!" She stopped as she realized that now her sentences were starting to rhyme too. She moaned and pleaded with the group. "C'mon guys, look at how bored I am. Can't you see I'm suffering? I need something to do, or else I'll kill all of you!"

They winced as they realized that Nicole really was rhyming and very badly at that. They look at each other in attempt to find a remedy, but the best they came up with was knocking her out, but no one really wanted to carry her after that. 

"How 'bout I sing you a song?" Pippin asked. The hobbits panicked and quickly clamped their hands over his mouth.

"Trust me, you don't want to hear Pip singing," said Merry urgently.

"It's not a pretty sight," agreed Sam.

"You could sing...," mumbled Pippin through their hands. Suddenly everyone was agreeing and once more forcing her to sing.

"How does this help me with my bad hair day?" she grumbled while mentally finding a song that would suit the occasion. Unfortunately, none had anything to do with hair, so Nicole looked at the geography for some inspiration. _Hehehe... I'd say that this is a mountain that's high enough... ok, see Nicole, you're so bored you even make lame jokes. _ Ignoring her mental speech to the best of her ability, she told them a bit about the song, deciding to sing it in Westron this time. 

"Ok, it's a song about two people being really far apart," she explained. "And they're saying that no matter how far apart they are, they will still be able to reach each other. Or something like that, I dunno. Whatever, I'll sing it once for ya'll, then I get to teach you!"

They weren't too happy about being lectured on the art of singing by a girl who knew next to nothing about it, but it was better than listening to her complain all day, so they agreed. The words to the song, as best as Nicole could remember them, were,

"Listen Baby...  
  
Ain't no mountain high  
Ain't no valley low  
Ain't no river wide enough baby  
  
If you need me call me  
no matter where you are  
no matter how far (don't worry baby)  
just call my name  
I'll be there in a hurry  
you don't have to worry  
  
'Cause baby there  
Ain't no mountain high enough  
Ain't no valley low enough  
Ain't no river wide enough  
To keep me from getting to you babe  
  
Remember the day  
I set you free  
I told you you could always count on me darling  
From that day on  
I made a vow  
I'll be there when you want me  
some way somehow  
  
'Cause baby there  
Ain't no mountain high enough  
Ain't no valley low enough  
Ain't no river wide enough  
To keep me from getting to you babe  
  
No wind,  
No rain  
  
Or winter's cold  
Can stop me baby  
'cause you are my goal  
(if you're ever in trouble  
I'll be there on the double  
just send for me)  
ooo baby  
send for me ooo baby  
  
My love is alive  
Deep down in my heart  
Although we are miles apart  
  
If you ever need a helping hand  
I'll be there on the double  
just as fast as I can  
  
Don't you know that there   
ain't no mountain high enough,  
ain't no valley low enough,  
aint no river wide enough to keep   
me from getting to you babe  
  
Don't you know that there   
aint no mountain high enough,  
ain't no valley low enough  
ain't no river wide enough to keep   
me from getting to you babe"

They listened to the song, but were far more interested in Nicole's actions, because while singing she had started to dance and throw snow around like a mad woman. Gandalf didn't mind so much, because he was used to parties. Aragorn was kind of indifferent on the matter.

"It's definitely a performance I've never seen before," he commented. "And you have a very interesting way of dancing." He meant the disco spins and grooves that Nicole had been displaying.

Legolas, however, didn't look happy at all with her song. He didn't need to say it, but it was clear that he thought that Nicole had ruined the joy and expression of song. Nicole read his facial expression and resisted adding the comment _I'd like to see you singing a disco song and pulling John Travolta moves._ In truth, she would have loved to see the Elfin prince being degraded like that, because it would be great for blackmail. Instead, Nicole began teaching the intro to the others, first making them sing a scale to see what range they were.

"Do See Me Fee," Pippin cleared his throat "-- Tea DEEE!!!!!!!!" The last note was so absurdly high and off key that Nicole had to force herself to keep from wincing. 

"Um... okay, that was.... very good Pippin," she said and he smiled brightly. "But the notes are Do Re Mi Fa So La Ti Do. How about you try again, and uh... just try to be more natural, and I'll sing it with you this time." That was the kindest way Nicole could think of to tell him that he was horrible. The second time he sang, with her help, every word was a second behind hers and the notes were still too high. She decided the only way to drone out his voice was put him with a huge group of people. Pippin seemed pleased with his singing and even happier when she assured him again that he was 'a good singer'.

The rest of the hobbits were decidedly better, and Nicole found that Sam would be especially good for a solo.

"Hey Sam, remember the part at the beginning where I was trying to sing kinda low?" she asked. Sam nodded and hummed a bit of the part because he couldn't remember the words. "Yeah, that's it. I think you'll sing that part," she said, and moved on to the other five members of the company.

Gimli's voice was so low that Nicole had to think a while about which part he would sing the best. "You know what Gimli? I really think that you could be a great trombone player," she said, and then had to explain what a trombone was. Luckily for her, Gimli didn't think of it as an insult, rather as a compliment.

"Ay, these lungs have the strength to blow the mightiest horns I can find," he said, thumping his chest, looking like a short ape in snow. _Hmm... a short ape in snow... that's actually a very good comparison. _

Boromir was stubborn and didn't want to sing at all. "I am not a musically talented man. The best I can do is blow the Horn of Gondor," he insisted.

"Oh come on, you can't honestly be that bad," she said, then moved a bit closer and said in an undertone, "you can't be any worse than Pippin." Nicole raised her voice again and began whining. "C'mon, Borry, dear! Please??? With sugar and strawberries and twinkies and chocolate and... more sugar? Pretty super please?" She made the saddest face she could, but got no reaction from him. Aragorn reacted instead.

"Borry?" he laughed. "That name could unmake a man's reputation."

"Huh?" Nicole replied. "What did _that_ mean? And don't laugh, cuz you're Gorny.... no, that doesn't sound right. You're Ary.... that doesn't sound right either. Whatever! I'll think of a name for you soon enough! In the meantime, how about you sing?" If Nicole thought that Aragorn would be stubborn too, or if he sounded really bad so that she could embarrass him, she was sorely disappointed. Aragorn was an excellent singer, even though his voice was more solemn than the song required.

"Humph! Fine, be that way, with your stupid voice and vocal chords," Nicole mumbled huffily. "Anyway, if you just loosened up you could sing the song better. Moving on to the next victim--" Nicole turned to Gandalf "--let's wind up those lungs! Your turn, Gandalf."

He chuckled. "My dear girl, if I could sing that song with such spunk and performance as you did, I would consider myself highly accomplished."

"So what you're trying to tell me is that you aren't at all interested in joining my oh-so-fabulous, traveling, singing, and dancing group?" she asked him, a bit ticked off. Gandalf nodded and looked apologetic. "Well, alright. I thought maybe having you in this lovely group would get us a wider aged audience. Hey, whatever floats your boat." She turned to Legolas. _Oh yeah... the final victim. This is going to be so much fun! Stupid snobby prince getting all tangled up in disco dancing, trying to sing disco classics... I wish I had my camera with me. _"So, we're left with the final contestant in Middle-Earth Idol to audition. Show us what you got!" Nicole exclaimed with a flourish of her wrists, very much like she was presenting something (think Wheel-of-Fortune's Vanna White).

Despite the grand entrance that Nicole had provided for Legolas, he simply gave her a harsh look and remained silent. They all looked back at him, most of them scared because the prince looked murderous. Nicole just looked straight at him expectantly. The silence stretched out again, complete with angry glares from Legolas, before he turned away and scanned the horizon for no apparent reason. Nicole got the distinct impression that she had insulted him. _But I didn't even do anything this time! Oh, who cares, Nicole? He's just a stupid snob. _A second voice popped up, this one turning her anger into disbelief, sadness, and confusion. _But he seemed so much nicer in the books and the movies and all those fanfics. I don't get it, I thought I'd get along with everyone, since this is where I supposedly belong. _The angry voice took over again. _Just shut up and get back to the real world! _ Nicole forcefully stopped her mental conversation and turned her attention to those people who actually wanted to be in her group.

She counted up the people that actually wanted to sing with her, a total of six, including her. Then they thought of a name for themselves. Among the suggestions were _Four Hobbits, A Guy and A Girl_, _ The Traveling Amazingly Talented People Who Sing_, and _The FANSPaMs_, all of which were thought up by Nicole, the last one being a jumble of their initials. 

"Why do we need a name if we aren't going to be performing anywhere?" asked Merry, who then received a glare from Pippin, who thought that Nicole would take the question as an insult.

"Well... um... that's a good question," Nicole said, stalling for time. "If we have a name, then we're more of a group... but then we don't need to be a group because we don't have any gigs..." she trailed off into silence. Nicole tried to ignore the stares of Pippin, who was enraptured by her beauty, she supposed, and the stares of Merry who still hadn't had his question answered properly. _Maybe, if I just talk to myself, they'll forget me... but then what about the group? Which doesn't really exist, but still: we need practice! Do you concur? _"I concur!" Nicole proclaimed gleefully, realizing a moment too late that the rest of the group had been in the middle of a discussion about the mines. "Whoops... sorry. But it's true!"

"As we were saying before that interruption," Legolas said, complete with yet another of those lovely glares that were becoming more and more popular. "We should reach the mines by tomorrow evening and then---"

"Really?" Nicole said, interrupting him again. "So that means no more snow? No more cold? No more sneezing? WHEEEE!!!!!!" Nicole started to jump around, occasionally picking up a handful of snow and yelling "HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!!!!!!!!" She managed to celebrate for maybe two or three minutes before one of her handfuls of snow accidentally hit Boromir's head. Faster than you can say 'snowball fight', Boromir scooped up some snow and whipped it at Nicole, laughing.

"EEK!" she yelled and dove behind Gimli for cover. The snowball hit Gimli instead, so in retaliation, Gimli threw a snowball at Boromir. Now, not many people know this, but Gimli isn't known for his expert aim. His snowball hit Aragorn. Half a second later, it was a full out snow fight that had even Gandalf lobbing clumps of snow at the hobbits. The only one not involved in this powder-fest was Legolas. Nicole spotted him on the outskirts on their group, doing his looking-off-into-the-distance-because-I-have-super-duper-Elf-vision thing again. She hefted a ball and took aim, trying to hit Legolas' hair so that she wouldn't look so bad. 

The disturbance of the air close to his head must've alerted Legolas of the incoming snowball because he spun around and hit it with the back of his hand so that it slammed into the ground. Nicole tried very hard to look not guilty while being on the receiving end of another glare. It could've been her imagination, but she thought she heard him mutter really quietly, "Child." But nobody else noticed and the snow fight raged on.

Until Merry got vengeful. At one point, Pippin had managed to body check him into the ground and shove snow into his jacket. Merry chose to get back at him by getting a particularly large snowball and throwing it at Pippin. Let's just say that no one knew that Merry was that strong. The snowball hit Pippin right in the head, full force. He keeled over, and the _thud _of him hitting the ground made everyone else stop in their tracks. Everyone ran up to him, except Merry who shrank back. Nicole was closest to him since she was sneaking up behind him to deliver a hit to his back. She knelt by his side. The best way to describe his condition was dazed-drunk.

"Whoa, buddy, can you hear me?" Nicole asked, shaking his shoulder. "That was quite a hit." She made a mental note to congratulate Merry later. The entire Fellowship crowded around him. Nicole took a page out of a cop's book, and said, "C'mon people, give him some air." They stepped back. 

Pippin looked at her amazed. "Angel?" was the only word his confused mind could form at the moment. From his point of view, Nicole's hair was covered in snow and the sun was shining right behind her, making it look like she was shining or glowing. He probably couldn't recognize her at all, or so she hoped. Nicole rolled her eyes as the rest of them laughed at her. None of them could ever picture her as an angel, neither could she.

"Stupid hobbit," she muttered under her breath. Pippin smiled lopsidedly at his "angel" and fainted dead away. "Maybe we can lose him in the Mines."

**A/N: OMG! I started this chapter in... May, I think... And I just finished it now... it took forever, cuz I had finals and shopping and summer and learning and packing and all that other fun stuff. VERY SORRY!!!! I beg on my knees for forgiveness. Oh yeah, disclaimers: **

**(1) LotR isn't mine.... if you thought that it was, I'll consider that a compliment.  
(2) the song is Ain't No Mountain High Enough, and it belongs to whoever sung it first. I think it's Marvin Gaye, but I'm not sure.   
(3) twinkies: as much as I love them, they aren't mine either.**

**I think that's it. Anyway, I'm gone for two months (July to late August), so no updates. But I'll write chapters up so hopefully in September you guys will have at least two new chapters. Review! ~m~**


	11. Enter The Mines

**A/N: Whew... thank goodness I'm back. I can finally type everything up. I only managed to write three chapters over the summer (very VERY sorry), but I am going to try very VERY hard to have them all up by September seventh. Hey, you guys get a lucky treat this chapter! For the first time since... um... I think it was chapter two, I wrote it from somebody else's perspective, and not Nicole's. Exciting stuf... go read! **

**Oh yeah, almost forgot: just to warn ya'll, the chapters might be a little strange. But you'll figure it out soon. lol. I love being the author!**

**Disclaimer: LotR isn't mine. So, by connection, Pippin isn't mine either and I can't make him stop hitting on Nicole. Nicole tried to run away, but since I caught her, she's still mine. lol.**

**Home Sweet Home**

**Chapter Eleven - Enter the Mines**

For a second, Nicole wondered if maybe she didn't belong in Middle-Earth after-all. She hadn't seen a single pillow since she came here and she wasn't sure if she could stand life without pillows. Nicole would have given almost anything for a pillow right now, so that as they waited for Gandalf, she could at least be comfortable. Sighing, she shifted her position on the hard rock and broke the silence.

"Well,_ friends_, since we're gonna be here for a while, why not have a_ friend_ly conversation?" she asked, trying to hint at the answer to the riddle on the door of the Mines.

Merry looked at her curiously. "Why are you emphasizing the word 'friend'?"

"Big words, Meriadoc. My point exactly," she answered cryptically, instead turning her attention to Boromir since he was the closest. "So Boromir, what do you do for a living?" 

Boromir's answer was far less simple than the question. "I am to be the next Steward of Gondor, the ruler of my country and I must protect my people and Middle-Earth from the Orc's and foul creatures of Mordor. It is a position of great power, but also --"

"Great responsibility?" Nicole interrupted him. "Yeah, I get it... where have I heard that before? So what do you get paid? Any good benefits? When do you get to retire?"

"When you die," Boromir replied flatly to the last question because it was the only one he understood. There was a slight pause and Nicole was pretty sure she had offended him somehow. "And what do you do Nicole?"

"Uh...well," Nicole searched her brain for an answer that wouldn't make her seem like the really lazy person she was. The truth was that Nicole hadn't ever seriously considered her future. But a person her age in Middle-Earth was probably already working. "I'm in between jobs... I guess. But I'm thinking of being a professor... maybe. Of course, learning to teach would take a long time and it'd be hard to pull off. Lawyer's are very popular though... and doctors... and stock brokers too. One of these days I'll decide on a career," she told him. It occurred to her suddenly that her plans for the future would have to be changed, since she was in a totally different world and society now. _That's assuming that I survive the Mines and Lothlorien, and all the other lovely things that could happen to me. Like, perhaps, getting cut to pieces by an Orc... or attacked by crazed horses, or being forced to live in the wilderness, or dying... Wow, I'm just a happy little ray of sunshine, aren't I? _she mused sarcastically.

Frodo interrupted her thoughts by exclaiming, "It's a riddle!" He jumped up and came to the doors. "_Speak, friend, and enter!_ What's the Elvish word for friend?"

Gandalf looked up from his thoughts and automatically answered, "Mellon." Nicole hid a smile and mouthed the word at the same time from memory and habit. The huge doors finally creaked open and the Company passed through them into a carved cavern that was dark. Nicole hung to the back of the group, waiting for Gimli to finish gloating about the glory of Moria. At last, Gandalf lit his staff and they were able to see the space in front of them. Skeletons dressed in rusted armor, arrows, axes, and random bones littered the ground. Naturally, they didn't think it was the best idea to go through a mine which had become a graveyard. As they shuffled quickly back out through the doors, Nicole freed the dagger from its position at her side. She remembered what was in the lake, and wanted to be ready for it.

A second later, Frodo gave a shout and was lifted up by a tentacle into the air. The creature surfaced and flailed it's limbs wildly, no doubt causing Frodo more than a bit of dizziness. Nicole sprinted forward, beating the reactions of the two Men and the Elf by half a second. By the time she was up past her knees in cold, slimy water, Aragorn's first blow freed Frodo. The creature was not eager to let him go so easily and snatched him up again. Nicole's brain realized the freezing temperature of the water and the cold that seeped through her body and mind like poison. But she was in too deep already, and the battle wasn't going well, so she kicked off hard from the rocky bottom. Nicole forced her numb arms to churn through the water, with her dagger clenched in one hand. The water had a more serious effect on her than she had thought it would. 

Suddenly, a tentacle came out of nowhere and swung around, obviously aiming for Nicole. She managed to duck it the first time at the cost of dunking her head back under the water. When it doubled-back, it ended up shoving her closer to the creature and she was spared some effort. The thing seemed to really be getting furious._Geez, I thought it was supposed to be going after Frodo, not me, _Nicole thought as she dodged again._ That's it, this isn't doing anything to help me. I'd better aim for the eyes, if it has them. That way it won't keep attacking us._ With that, she tried to approach once more.Once she reached the creature's head, dodging tentacles and arrows on the way, she barely had the strength to pull her self on top of it. Her foot found a standing place and the muscles protested about being used and immersed in such cold temperatures. Nicole tried to figure out where an eye would be and decided that a shiny bump near the highest point of it's head seemed likely. She stabbed hard and winced, feeling, hearing, smelling, and seeing a yucky, black, slimy liquid squirt out of the eye. 

Somebody shouted from the shore and Nicole heard a bowstring snapping. The arrow whistled by her head as she moved just in time, disturbing her balance. She lost her footing on the creature's slippery skin and fell backwards into the water. Her body was so strained by now that it didn't have strength to pull itself to shore. That was largely Nicole's fault, since she hardly ever exercised. Luckily for her, the creature wasn't quite finished it's flailing and whacked her across the side, sending her flying out of the water and smacking her back straight onto a boulder on the rocky shore.

She managed to groan and mumble something like, "Did we win?" before her brain started to shut down._ Oops... I guess I shouldn't have fought if I wanted to survive.... kinda too late now..._ she thought, and then completely gave in to the night.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Gandalf shouted for someone to take the girl as he led the hobbits through the doors. He lit his staff as they began to climb the stairs, concerned only with the Ringbearer, who walked beside him, and was alert to any danger that may lurk in the shadows. They had been sealed into the Mines and it would be best not to wake anything that may still be alive in this seemingly deserted place.

The Company traveled silently, led by Gandalf and Gimli, with Frodo trailing just behind them. They walked for a long time without any rest, nourishment, or speech. Each person still remembered the terror at the gates and those that knew of it, didn't want to think of what was sleeping in Moria. Gandalf hoped that they would pass safely to the other side and pressed to Company to journey swiftly and silently.

So single-minded was his concern that he failed to notice that the Fellowship was wearying quickly from the day of walking through difficult terrain and the encounter with the beast. Though they recognized the need to hurry towards the other exit of Moria, they also recognized their body's need for rest. Gandalf was ignorant of their half-sleeping state, even when Pippin began to complain as quietly as he could. The other hobbits joined in, but Frodo, who felt the eminent danger and had a curious sense of being watched, was determined to continue. Still, he felt fatigued and when his tired feet stumbled, Gandalf finally paused for a moment to look back at the travelers.

Gimli and Frodo were still following close behind him, with the hobbits just behind them. Aragorn had one hand on Sam's shoulder to steady and encourage the hobbit, and his other arm was occupied carrying a large, sopping log. He shared this burden with Boromir while Legolas brought up the rear.

Gandalf's brow furrowed momentarily as he glanced at the log. It had a strange patch of seaweed-like material at the top end, that hung in limp tendrils. For a second he wondered why they had taken a log that clearly was too wet to be used as firewood. But as Boromir adjusted the weight slightly, Gandalf recognized the girl Nicole in the dim light. She seemed to be wounded and was obviously still unconscious. Gandalf sighed heavily. The Company was in no shape to continue any farther without getting some reprise.

"We have traveled as far as we can for now," he said reluctantly and noted the relieved expression that flickered across every face. "We will rest here for a few hours, taking two hour watches (A/N: I'm taking a shot in the dark here and using hours as a time measurement). And we will eat." At this final comment, Sam set down his pack and began preparations for cooking. They set up their camp in an alcove carved out of the rock a few yards from the path they were following.

As the food was made, Aragorn began to tend any wounds that were sustained earlier. Boromir took Nicole and laid her down on the cold, rocky ground near. She was still unconscious and had a bleeding cut on her forehead. Pippin glanced at her in worry.

"Can't you do something to wake her up?" he asked Gandalf. Despite the tiny movement caused by her silent breathing, Nicole looked nearly dead. Her skin was clammy and pale, her hair was limp and dark around her face, and her lips and eyelids had turned purple from exposure to the freezing lake water. Gandalf put his fingers on the girl's neck, feeling for a pulse. It took a few fearful moments before he could find it. Her heart beat slowly, but at least it worked.

"I am afraid that you will just have to wait," Gandalf replied. Seeing the disappointment and a tinge of fear in the young hobbit's eyes, Gandalf decided to try to help her anyways. As he cleaned the cut on her forehead, which was thankfully shallow and not serious enough to be a cause for worry, he felt that the girl was... different, and more unusual than she usually was. Gandalf was not a young man and his memory wasn't as strong as it used to be. He had never studied the girl's features in detail before, so he couldn't be sure, but it seemed that the girls face had changed. It was much thinner than at their first meeting, and seemed more distinguished than it really was. The cheekbones were cast into relief by the firelight, although in reality they were simply high, and not bony. Though her hair was limp, wet, and reminded Gandalf horribly of rats' tails, it was thick and straight, and had darkened to a deep, almost black, brown.

Suspicion grew in Gandalf's mind and a theory began to take shape. But before the theory could fully form, Boromir began to organize the watch as the others fell into sleep. Boromir took up a position at the front of the alcove, which would be occupied by Merry and later Legolas. Gandalf set himself down by the wall where he could easily access and see everyone. Before going to sleep, he glanced once more at the prone form of Nicole. _It's almost as though... _he stopped his thought. _There are more important things than minor curiosities. _He instead occupied his mind with plotting their journey through the mines and fell asleep with an image of a dash through Dwarrowdelf.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

"Wake up, Nicole."

She groaned, willing her senses to shut down once more and let her sleep. The voice spoke again, becoming more clear.

"Wake up," it commanded firmly.

She groaned again and kept her eyes tightly shut. No doubt in a few moments her mom would force her out the front door half asleep and only half-ready for her day at school.

"No. Jus' tell'em I'm not goin' t'school t'day," she mumbled and her words slurred together. "By the way Mom, you should stop smokin', yer voice 'sgetting deep." Nicole couldn't manage any more words and her fuzzy brain wasn't going to try. She heard a pause and then a chuckle. _Where's my pillow? _She could use it to shut out the sound. She flung out her right hand to find her pillow and hit rock-hard rock. Memory came flooding back painfully and Nicole awoke fully, suddenly trying to get to her feet to see what had happened.

Nausea hit her instantly and hands pushed her back down. Black dots swam in front of her eyes and then her vision cleared. In the dim light she could see that Boromir was pushing her down and Aragorn was smiling slightly at being called her mother. Pippin was peering at her, looking very, very worried, and Gandalf stood further back, looking very wrapped in his thoughts as he looked at her. It was a bit disconcerting to Nicole for a moment but she figured he was just worried about the road ahead.

Beyond them, Merry was taking food from Sam, Frodo was already eating, Gimli was telling them about the splendor of the Dwarf halls and Legolas was keeping a watch. Nicole sagged with relief that everyone was alright and let her self by pushed back to the ground. Everyone was accounted for and safe. Well, not including herself, because she promptly turned on her side and heaved up the contents of her stomach for all to see. There wasn't much to see, actually, because she hadn't been eating much the past few days. She wiped her mouth on her sleeve and coughed. A few glistening specks of blood now decorated her sleeve and her skin.

"Oh swell," she commented dryly as Aragorn glanced at the blood and put one hand on her forehead. "I feel like I'm going to fall in a minute and Ewan McGregor will sing on a stage while I die. Great, I totally feel ready to cough up a lung." Well, at least the girl's personality hadn't been damaged by the beating.

Pippin pushed forward. "Who is this Ewmakrakcer? I will fight him and he won't bother you anymore!"

Nicole paused for a moment, at once shocked, amused, and kind of honored at his outburst. Before she could think of how to explain it to Pippin, Aragorn took over as doctor and dealt with his patient, keeping up a steady stream of conversation.

"You have a cut on your forehead, but it is shallow. Does your head hurt?" he asked as he checked the wound and then instructed her to open her mouth.

"Na, by oread osn urk," she said and was then allowed to shut her mouth so she repeated herself more clearly. "No, my forehead doesn't hurt," she said fingering the wound, slightly surprised that she had one. "But I've got a killer headache and I'm nauseous, obviously." _Maybe I shouldn't have said killer, _she mused as she saw Pippin's reaction. Carefully pushing herself into a sitting position, she twisted her torso from side to side. She winced as pain lanced through her muscles. "And apparently, my left ribs are bruised. Actually, my whole left side is in pain."

Aragorn nodded. "We wanted to wait for you to wake up and get your permission to check for other wounds." He paused and blushed a little. "Would it bother you if I checked for other injuries?"

"Not at all, doctor dude," Nicole replied, amusing herself with the ridiculous title she had just bestowed upon him. He seemed confused by it. Nicole obediently shed her cloak as she gently flexed other muscles to see just how badly she had gotten it. "Hey, guess what, guys? You get to keep on carrying me!" she announced gleefully. This was not good news for Aragorn, Boromir, and especially Legolas, because they had taken turns carrying her in pairs while they walked.

"Why?" asked Legolas, with a hint of annoyance in his voice that Nicole barely picked up on. The Elf crossed the alcove, tapping Gimli on the shoulder to take the watch over.

Nicole rolled up her right pant leg and proudly displayed the reason. "I twisted my ankle," she said. Her right ankle had swollen to nearly twice it's size and was decorated in flattering shades of purple and green. Aragorn immediately took some herbs out of a pocket and began to make a poultice for her. When he wrapped it around her ankle the pain slowly dulled. _And doctor dude's first treatment is a success! said the patient, _Nicole thought. _Maybe I should be a reporter. This is Nicole Whats-my-name, reporting live-at-the-scene for Middle Earth Network six o-clock news. _The thought of farmers, hobbits, or soldiers sitting down to watch TV made her laugh. Or snort, in her case, because she was such a lady. Her snort brought another coughing fit, more blood on her lips (_I'm a vampire! _she thought. _Grr, fear me!_) and turned everyone's attention back to her other injuries.

"I have to see it to treat it," Aragorn said unnecessarily.

Nicole obliged and continued to shed the layers of clothing. She took off her sweater, which was wet, dirty, and fraying, and threw it closer to the fire so that it could dry. It landed neatly a foot away from the flames. "Oh yeah! She shoots, she scores, one for Nicole!" she exclaimed proudly, and was greeted with the usual reaction: confused silence. "It's like a game... oh nevermind," she said in frustration. "You know, Aragorn," she continued as she painfully pulled her left arm out of her t-shirt. "There's a stone that's called Aragonite, kinda like your name."

Surprisingly, Legolas smirked and nudged Aragorn's shoulder. *Another name to add to the list, Estel,* he said in Elvish.

And surprisingly for Nicole, she actually smiled back at the levity that the Elf and Man shared. Or maybe she smiled at the revelation the the Elf had a sense of humor and maybe he wasn't an evil robot after all.

Her expression passed swiftly back into a grimace of pain as she attempted to pull the shirt off her neck. Her tank top was still in good condition, thankfully. Nicole heard a sharp in-drawn breath behind her. Boromir was the first to see the injury because he was standing directly behind her. Aragorn and Legolas moved to stand beside him. None seemed too happy with her injury but all remained silent.

Their patient growled in frustration from the floor. "What, tell me already?! It can't be that bad, I'm still breathing aren't I?" she demanded sharply. She heard the rustle of cloth and felt a fingertip rest at her neck. It traced a line: neck, sloping down on the right, continuing at her waist, moving left, and then tracing her left shoulder and resting again at her neck. Nicole swallowed hard. *Whatever that is, I doubt it's good,* she said quietly in Elvish addressing Aragorn, though it wasn't he who answered.

*No, it isn't good. Your back is very badly bruised,* Legolas told her. The skin had turned worse colors than her ankle, a mixed blotch of purples, greens, blues, and sickly yellow. It was hot to the touch and throbbed slightly from the pain. _No doubt Legolas is celebrating, _Nicole thought sourly. What else would he do?

She shut her eyes tightly, took a deep breath and steadied her nerves. _Might as well get it over with. _ She steeled herself for the pain. "Here goes, Aragonite. I'm going to flex my back," she said, stretching her arms out in front of her, "to see if anything is--" she grunted and pulled her arms upwards and behind her head "--pulled, stretched or--" a sharp cracking noise filled the air as Nicole arched her back, "--oww... broken." She moved her neck in a circle, then bent forwards to touch her toes. "Actually, it's just achy," she commented with surprise. "No sharp pains, no dislocated bones, must be just skin-deep... but I feel like I've carried ten horses on my back and then had to sleep on rocks, which is true." Nicole suddenly grabbed at her stomach as it revolted again. "Oh, but I'm still nauseous."

Almost before she could finish her sentence, Aragorn was forced a liquid down her throat. "Swallow," he commanded and the patient felt relatively better.

Boromir placed a reassuring hand on her un-bruised right shoulder. Nicole gratefully closed her eyes and leaned back against him to rest for a moment. She felt a small hand timidly take hers and she opened one eye. It was Pippin. She squeezed his hand lightly and he looked surprised. She grinned. _He's such a cute little hobbit! Of course, he's older than me, way shorter, and not my type, if I even have a type. But still, he's... _she paused and thought of a fitting word. _ Admirable. He's admirable._

"Thanks Pippin. Your moral support is admirable," she said. Nicole knew he needed the compliment because he rarely was acknowledged. And he was going to cause a lot of mischief soon that was only going to bring annoyance.

After taking another moment to rest, Nicole sighed. "Alrighty," she said, letting go of Pippin's hand and reaching up to grasp Boromir's forearm. "Let's go." She managed to get to her feet and stood balanced on her left foot with his help.

"Go where?" voiced Merry.

"I think we have time enough to rest a little longer," said Gandalf a bit reluctantly.

"What? But I just got up!" Nicole protested. "We're going, guys. If that creature was any indication, Moria is a bad place to stay, no offense Gimli."

"None taken," he replied, and Nicole continued talking.

"I don't really love how this place feels, and I know I'm not the only one." She spared a momentary glance at Frodo. "C'mon, somebody give me a pack to carry! I'm damaged, that's true, but I'm not wasting away yet. Does anyone know where I can get a walking stick?" she asked as she wobbled on one leg. The drink that Aragorn had given her not only healed nausea and back pain, it seemed to inspire hyperness as well, because Nicole was talking pretty fast.

"Your clothes are still wet, you'll catch cold," Sam pointed out.

"Oh," she replied, defeated. "Right you are, Watson. Shove them closer to the fire and they'll dry faster." Sam obliged and moved the garments until they were a mere two inches from the flame. "Wait!" she said as Sam moved her t-shirt. "Toss me that one, it's pretty much dry."

That was a mistake. She should have asked Merry, he had slightly better aim. Sam's throw went wide and to her left.

"Yeeek!" she squeeked softly as she reached out her aching left arm. The movement was less than fluid and left Nicole in an awkward position. She had to lunge forward from the waist up, right arm flung out to land on in case she fell, and her right leg stretched out behind her to counter-balance her weight. Her fingertips snagged the material and paused her in her place.

"Whoa," she breathed. She looked somewhat like a ballerina, the awkward catch appearing to have some semblance of grace. Nicole tottered on her good leg and slowly brought all her limbs to a normal place.

"Sorry," said Sam humbly. At least he had a good reason for the bad throw: a flame had flickered dangerously close to his arm.

"Nice catch," remarked Boromir, offering no more aid to Nicole.

"Ow," was her response as she glared darkly at him and the amused smirk on his face. He chuckled and she stuck out her tongue at him then pulled the shirt on, trying not to wince.

"You should be nice to me if I am to help you walk," he said.

"Good point." Nicole stood in her place as the preparations to continue were made. She watched as everyone went about and when she saw that everything was almost ready, she moved. Hopping on one foot, she approached the fire where her sweater and cloak lay, now dry. As she bent to pick the clothes up, the wave of nausea hit her hard. Nicole fell to her knees and pressed her hands against the cool rock floor, trying to force the churning sensation to go away. A shiver ran across her scalp and raced down her spine and she grew lightheaded.

The companions closest to her where Gandalf and Legolas. They asked if she was alright but the voices seemed to echo horribly and amplify as the sound bounced in her eardrums. It made her head pound. Mumbling some sort of answer, she bundled the clothes under her arm and stood shakily to her feet. Gandalf helped her and held her steady as she pulled on the sweater and cloak.

"Nicole," he said. His voice sounded concerned and curious, and strangely grandfatherly. "You seem--" his words seemed to voice and incomplete thought, so he settled on a simple question which he infused with meaning. "Are you alright?"

Nicole met his gaze and held it. "I'm fine," she replied defiantly, but knew that Gandalf had heard, "I'm worried." It was the truth.

She sighed and let Boromir take her arm and support her weight. Gandalf moved to the front of the procession and the march began again.

**A/N: Well, didn't that chapter end on a horribly unhumorous note? sorry, but that's just the way Moria is. Its not terribly amusing. Sorry for the really long wait, but to make up for it, you can leave as many reviews as you want! Here, let's make this fun: try to list as many of the different names for Aragorn as you can. I think I have about ten already. Click the button! ~MoI~**


	12. Backaches, Spiders, and Falling

**A/N: I'm trying to update at the speed of light, but as it turns out, that's 300,000km/s, or something like that, and I can type that fast. Oh well, I'm doing the best I can. Besides, I have tons of work, and I update faster than certain *ahem* other fanfic writers I know. No names need be mentioned (alright, I give in: MICHIRU!!!!!! UPDATE!!!!!). Sorry. I promise that will never happen again. On with the disclaimers, titles, explanations, and the story!**

**Disclaimer: Tolkien is a genius, I wish I was too. Make me feel better, and leave a review! (see how I rhyme!)**

***Elvish*  
"Common"  
^Dwarvish^  
_Thinking_**

**Home Sweet Home**

**Chapter Twelve ~ Backaches, Spiders and Falling (have I mentioned that I suck at titles?)**

The only ones tall enough to help Nicole walk were Aragorn, Boromir, Legolas and Gandalf. Since Gandalf was preoccupied with leading them and since he was old (no offence), that left the three of them to walk with her in one hour shifts. Nicole's first hour with Boromir passed quickly and pleasantly. She continually asked questions about Gondor and he was only too happy to continually talk about life in his kingdom.

When Aragorn took over, the conversation was different and a bit more difficult. Nicole would ask a question, about his healing skills, his life, or random things, and Aragorn would answer simply and shortly. Eventually she couldn't help herself, and commented on it.

"Am I annoying you?" she asked.

"No," he replied, somewhat confused. "Why do you ask?"

"You aren't very chatty," Nicole said. "I don't know if it's because I'm so boring, or if you don't like me, or if you don't feel like spilling your secrets to an air-headed girl, or if it's just in your nature to be quiet and serious."

Aragorn shrugged. "I suppose it's just the way I am. I am more observant, but I will speak if I have something to say."

Nicole found it difficult to believe him after noting that he and Legolas actually exchanged humorous comments. But she let it go, it wasn't a big issue. "I'm kind of like that too," she told him. "It's just that right now... talking keeps my mind off other things that I don't want to face." As soon as the words left her mouth she frowned. _Huh? What am I so worried about? What on earth... oops, sorry, What on Middle-Earth was I talking about? Nicole, you are going crazy. _She silently agreed with herself.

The two of them slipped into a comfortable silence after that. Nicole couldn't keep her mind off of what ever it was she was trying to keep her mind off of. _What am I so guarded against? Why am I actually doing the deep-thinking stuff like a philosopher? And why, oh why, am I so nauseous? _She paused, poking absently at her stomach. _It feels a lot like that time when I was a kid, and I ate a grape jelly bean. Except it was a grape-colored piece of play-doh. That wasn't fun. _She remembered wondering if her stomach would turn purple from it. Turns out that her back ended up being purple, and that was from a bruise.

She turned her mind to a more immediate worry. Like, for instance, the fact that Legolas had just taken over for Aragorn and Nicole wasn't on the best of terms with the Elf. _Hey, if he can joke with Aragorn, maybe he can manage a civil conversation, _she reasoned.

*So, do you work out a lot, or are you just the Hulk?* she asked him in Elvish. Her right arm was slung across his shoulders and he was easily supporting her weight, and nearly carrying her. _I wonder if he'd notice if I put all my weight on him? It'd definitely would be easier for me._

*What?* he asked. He was probably so shocked that she had asked him a question that he hadn't heard.

*You are hardly letting me support my own weight,* she pointed out. *I am not featherlight... I'm more of a boulder... or maybe a whole mountain..*

*Elves are strong,* he replied simply, cutting her off just as she was about to compare her weight to ten Sumo wrestlers.

*Oh,* Nicole said. She racked her brain for interesting conversation, but couldn't think of anything to say. Her right hand fiddled with the arrows sticking out of the Elf's quiver. The crafting of the arrows was amazing: it looked more like a piece of tribal art, with it's simple design and small touches of Elven accents. But each arrow looked exactly the same, with the same meticulous carving, showing that they were all repeats of the same design. _How can you use something so elegant to kill? _she mused and stopped herself short. _Stop doing the pensive thing! You're going to get old and wrinkly before you turn 25!!!! _ Surprisingly, she was pulled out of her thoughts (really more like dialogues with the voices in her head, now that she had decided she was crazy), by the Elf's voice.

*Why do you always talk so strangely?*

She blinked, wondering what had provoked the sudden question and about to protest that she didn't talk strangely at all. _But then again, these people use words like 'yonder', so I guess slang is strange. _*I guess it keeps me in touch with reality,* she answered uncertainly.

*This is not real to you?* Legolas asked incredulously.

She sighed. Two sentences and she was already finding it aggravating to talk to him. *I don't know. I mean, I know it's real, but it helps to keep a part of my old world with me,* she waved her left hand in a dismissive gesture. *It's just a childish habit. It's stupid.*

*It makes sense,* Legolas told her.

_Hang on just a second there, Elf boy. Did I just hear what I thought I heard???? He AGREED with me. He didn't INSULT me. Or look at me like I'm crazy... could this mean he's being civil? _Nicole tried to keep the astonishment out of her face. 

They kept walking in silence. She still couldn't get over the fact that he had been nice for a while. As the shifts changed over and over, she learned more about each of them. _How could anyone have guessed that Boromir had a brocolli fetish as a two year old? This is the stuff tabloids are made of! _Nicole thought. She even managed to extract a few pieces of information about proper archery techniques from the Elf Prince. _Ha, he's like Prince... except he's the Elf Formerly Known as Prince. But I can't really call him that, because he is a prince, and if that's what he was formerly called, then what's his name now? Joe Bob? _That day she had six shifts with Boromir and five each with Aragorn and Legolas. Everybody was tired by the end of their march. They had been walking for sixteen hours, barely stopping for rest or food.

"You know Nicole," said Boromir during his sixth shift. "You are starting to get heavy." He shifted her weight and grinned.

"What do you want from me? You want me to become anorexic? I don't think so, buddy," she joked, but since they didn't understand, it was really just a waste of air. "Fine, I'm going to try to walk," she told him and took her arm away from his support. Boromir kept firmly grasping her right arm, looked concerned and was about to intervene, but Nicole had already put her foot down. Literally. Nicole winced as a slight dart of pain shot up her right leg as she moved her ankle. Carefully she put her weight on the swollen ankle, and found that it hurt far less than she had expected. _I'm cured! _ she thought. Her leg took another step and her vision swam. _I spoke too soon, _Nicole added as the nausea returned. She put a hand across her eyes and swallowed back the bile.

Boromir took her weight again even though he was tired. "Nicole, maybe you should--" She knew that he was about to suggest rest and she was ready to agree when Gandalf spoke up.

"We will rest now," he informed them. "We have reached our limits for tonight. Or today." The darkness made it difficult to determine the time of day. Quickly scouting the area, they found a guardroom and set up their things for the night.

"I'll take the first watch," volunteered Nicole.

"But you need to rest," insisted Aragorn, his tone firm and professional.

"I can't sleep with a headache like this," she replied. The pounding on the inside of her head had resumed. It was as though a hammer was steadily beating into her skull, trying to rid her of what few brain cells she had left. _Maybe I have a bunch of mini-Gimli's in my head, trying to hack my head into pieces, _she wondered and laughed. Gimli looked over at her with a curious expression, but that just brought more giggles. Of course, laughing requires the use of lungs and ribs, and Nicole was painfully reminded of her injuries. "If it makes you feel any better, Aragorn," she started, trying to barter with him. Besides, if her back got any worse she might just ask Gandalf to knock her on the head with his staff so she'd be unconscious. "I'll only take one hour. And then somebody else can take over."

"Alright," he agreed reluctantly and with a frown. "But after one hour, Gimli will take a two-hour watch. And then Legolas and afterwards Sam." The three chosen people nodded their consent.

Nicole leaned against the doorway as everyone laid down their blankets. She noticed that Pippin put his bedroll as close as he could to her. _That hobbit will never cease to amuse me_, she thought with a small grin. They ate a little and said their good-nights. Soon the sound of soft breathing filled the guardroom and Nicole slid down the wall until her knees were level with her shoulders, she was sitting looking out from the room, and she put her head in her hands. The nausea hadn't gone away and was just as bad, if not worse, than the headache. Nicole tried to ignore the two pains.

"Nicole?" whispered a voice.

"Yes, Pippin?"

"Don't fall asleep."

She half turned her head despite the pain it caused and smiled at him in the dark. "I won't," she promised. "Good night."

"Goodnight Nicole."

She heard the hobbit shift and get comfortable and then he too fell asleep. For Nicole, sleep was impossible. She pulled her knees up to her chest and rested her chin on them. She wrapped the cloak tightly around her and curled her arms around her knees. Nicole let her mind slowly empty of thoughts and tried to release the tension in her back muscles. Sitting and staring into the darkness, she lost track of time and was surprised and embarrassed when she felt someone tap her lightly on the shoulder. Untangling her arms and stretching out her legs, she looked up to see who had disturbed her. Legolas stood above her and sat down so that Nicole wouldn't have to crane her neck.

*I wasn't asleep,* she assured him, though her voice was laced with guilt.

*Not unless you can sleep with your eyes open,* he replied with a tiny hint of humor, and looked out at the inky black darkness.

*I thought Gimli was supposed to be next,* she whispered and tried to clear the cobwebs from her muddled head.   
  
*You've been on guard for five hours,* Legolas informed her. *You're nearly finished my watch.* He gave her a curious look, as though her unusual dumbness was idiotic.   
  
Which it is idiotic… How could five hours have gone by? I didn't really fall asleep because I don't remember that. But how else could I have amused myself for five hours? This was really strange behavior for her. I can barely manage an hour of silence and now I stayed awake with no company at all for FIVE HOURS? I must have been asleep…. Oh wait, that isn't a good thing: I was supposed to be on watch. She ducked her head guiltily. *Sorry,* Nicole mumbled blearily, *I didn't realize…* She trailed off as her mind started to shut down without her consent.   
  
Stupid head… WORK!!! Can't even think… tired. Really odd… Nicole's thoughts were disjointed and scattering faster than she could grab them. She closed her eyes to try to clear her head. The second she paid any attention to her head, the hammering resumed and made Nicole seriously consider knocking herself out. When she opened her eyes again, everything was thrown into a bizarre sharp focus. The texture of the fabric on Legolas' boots. What was once shadows and random outlines in the darkness became rocks and ruins. Turning to look back at their encampment, the details of Gandalf's map were clear. Through her jumble of thought fragments, one was made clear. What the hell is going on? This is impossible… I must be crazy. She shut her eyes again and couldn't help a quiet moan from the redoubled efforts of the headache.   
  
*What is it?* asked Legolas. For once his voice was not biting, but Nicole also noticed that it wasn't friendly either. Just civil and slightly emotionless.   
  
*Nothing,* she replied, trying to organize words into sentences. *So much… my eyes. Must be a concussion… a hallucination… maybe even some Alice-in-Wonderland thing… who knows? …it hurts…* Nicole abandoned any hope of making coherent speech and sat rubbing her temples.   
  
*You should rest,* Legolas commanded. He obviously practices using that commanding tone, Nicole observed, probably uses it on his royal subjects… stupid Elf Prince. If she had felt up to the effort, she would have stuck her tongue out at him, but since she had a habit of insulting royalty or VIP's of any kind, it might be best to stop that quirk.   
  
So she settled for a stubborn, *No.* Nicole opened her eyes again to argue some more, but noticed abruptly that her vision was back to normal and all she could see was shadows and the things that lay in the little pool of light from their camp fire. The whack she had received from the beast had probably damaged her brain more than she realized and made her imagine things. You really are going crazy, Nicole, she told herself. Nicole shoved the thought aside and wrapped her arms around her knees again. She stared into the shapeless dark of Moria without really seeing it.   
  
Legolas noted the girl's glazed eyes and remembered it for future reference. It was an unusual thing to see associated with the young human. The Elven Prince turned his head, assumed the same position as the girl, and stared out at the ruins of Moria.   
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~   
  
The next day Nicole was capable of walking be herself, though at the cost of considerable pain in her ankle, back, neck and left shoulder. The headache plagued her constantly, accompanied by the nausea. Nicole tried to ignore the pair of them, but at times the feelings became so strong That her balance wobbled and she had to pause for a minute. The hobbits were her traveling companions of the day. Their chatter was pleasant and quiet because Gandalf made a point of looking over his shoulder and glaring at them if they got too loud.   
  
Gandalf led them confidently through the passageways of the Dwarf realm. The passed quickly for everyone (except Nicole, who was complaining after the first hour, albeit as quietly as she could), or perhaps they walked for a shorter time, because the next time Gandalf called a rest for the night, they found that they weren't completely exhausted. Of course, they could also be simply conditioned and used to walking for hours, but that was such a ridiculous thought that Nicole dismissed it immediately. Who on earth… dammit. Who on MIDDLE EARTH would want, or be able to, walk this much for so long? Forget me being crazy… these exercise freaks are crazier!   
  
They halted beside a staircase leading up to a landing with three huge, arched doorways. The landing stretched out over a lower landing, so that there was a sheltered corner in between the staircase and the wall. The corner became their next camp and the travelers quickly set to work preparing a small meal as Gandalf climbed to the top of the landing and regarded the three paths with Frodo at his side.   
  
Nicole stayed quiet as they ate, having used up all her talking skills while walking with the hobbits. But she was perfectly fine listening to Merry and Pippin's conversation.   
  
"Merry?"   
  
"What?" came the rely.   
  
"Where are we going?"   
  
"I don't know."   
  
Silence.   
  
"Merry?"   
  
"What?" this time the reply was slightly exasperated.   
  
"I think we're lost."   
  
"So what?"   
  
Pause.   
  
"Merry, I'm hungry." Nicole raised an eyebrow at this statement. Pippin was already eating, how could he be hungry?   
  
"Merry, I'm tired."   
  
"That's great."   
  
"Merry, are you listening to me?"   
  
"Of course, and stop saying my name, I know you're talking to me."   
  
"Oh."   
  
There was silence again and Nicole bit her lip to keep the smile off her face.   
  
"Merry?"   
  
"What?" Merry replied, though it came out as an aggravated growl.   
  
Pippin paused, looking startled and apparently finally aware that he was annoying Merry. "Nothing, sorry," he said timidly, looking completely like the young hobbit he was.   
  
Nicole couldn't help laughing at their ridiculous exchange. She tried desperately to stifle the giggles but Pippin and Merry had made the mistake of glancing over at her to see what was so funny. Their confused expressions just made her laugh more. The hobbits smiled uncertainly, still not sure what was so funny, but eventually Nicole got herself under control and sat grinning stupidly at them.   
  
If she focused only on this moment: Merry and Pippin exchanging light insults, Aragorn and Legolas smiling at some old thought or memory (or making fun of Nicole), Boromir and Gimli comparing metal-sharpening methods, and Sam making sure everyone had food; just this one moment, then she was happy. If she looked forward two hours, or a day, or a week, then fear, doubt, and worry clouded her thoughts. So Nicole smiled to herself, leaned her aching back against the cold rock wall, and thought of the moment.   
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~   
  
A feather light touch tickled her cheek. She blearily lifted a hand to brush it away. Another touch, on her jaw. And then a flurry of light brushes across her face.   
  
Nicole suddenly gasped, her mind making a reasonable conclusion, coming out of her sleep much too abruptly, eyes blinking open, and body snapping to attention. She emitted a squeaking sound and her hands rushed over her head, neck and arms.   
  
Her movements and radiating panic awoke the others and somebody asked her what was wrong and another voice, clearly still asleep, asked if they were having crumpets for breakfast.   
  
"Spiders!" she replied, her voice coming out high-pitched in her terror. "Get them off, get'em OFF!"   
  
Hands grabbed her wrists and a voice spoke. "Daro!" Nicole stopped immediately at the command to stop spoken in Elvish. She blinked and looked up confusedly at Legolas. *There are no spiders,* he explained to her, his voice tense. She got the distinct impression that she was skating on paper-thin ice with Legolas and he was quickly losing patience.   
  
"Oh." She felt like a stupid, childish, two-year old. And it was no wonder: everybody she had ever met thought her fear of spiders was absolutely ridiculous.  
  
Legolas let go of her wrists and walked past Aragorn, murmuring in very quiet Elvish, *If you got me to like the race of Men, then that girl will make me dislike them again.*   
  
"Hey, I heard that, buddy!" Nicole snapped at him. What a meanie! She paused, realizing what word she had used to describe Legolas. Alright, so I AM a child… so what?   
  
Aragorn looked at Nicole in surprise. He had heard Legolas' whisper because the Elf had spoken into his ear, but he didn't know how the girl could've caught it. Perhaps the structure of Moria had made and echo that allowed her to hear the comment.   
  
Gandalf sighed at the disruption and went back to looking at the three doors. The rest of the Fellowship packed up the camp. Now that Nicole had woken everyone, there was nothing to do but move on. Nicole climbed up the staircase and sat down gingerly beside Gandalf.   
  
"Sorry," she said quietly.   
  
"It's quite alright," he replied, and Nicole was relieved to see that there was no anger in his tone. "At least everyone is awake." But his tone was distracted, and Nicole could read worry on Gandalf's face. He was lost.   
  
She felt the spidery touch again and was about to panic when she caught sight of a strand of her hair being moved by a slight breeze. A breeze? she thought. Wait a second…   
  
"Gandalf, there's a draft of air coming from that passage!" she whispered excitedly, pointing at the far left arch.   
  
Gandalf sat up straighter. "You're right," he whispered back and then louder, "The air is not so foul here! Come, let us go with haste!"   
  
The Fellowship followed Gandalf through the doorway and down the staircase that it led to. Today, Nicole walked with Gimli and his anticipation to see the great halls of Moria rubbed off on her. So when the stair ended and opened out into a huge space which Gandalf promptly illuminated with his staff, Nicole gasped at it's sheer size.   
  
"This is the dwarf city of Dwarrowdelf," said Gandalf. His light showed huge columns in every direction, stretching out to a ceiling that Nicole couldn't see. They advance slowly, admiring the skill of the Dwarves.   
  
Suddenly Gimli glimpsed a light ahead of them, gave a shout, and ran forward. Nicole sprinted to his side, ignoring her throbbing and protesting ankle and the nausea that had come upon her again. She finally gave in to her ankle's demands for stop and fell back a couple of paces as Gimli entered a chamber with a rectangular structure at its center and skeletons littering the ground. The Dwarf fell to his knees at what was the coffin of his cousin. The rest of the Fellowship entered the room and Gandalf started talking about Balin, son of Fundin, and the journal the Dwarves had kept during their final days. Nicole didn't pay attention, instead tentatively placing a hand on Gimli's shoulder, trying to comfort the grieving Dwarf.   
  
Nicole tuned in to hear the last of Gandalf's words. "They are coming," finished Gandalf, and looked to the broken doorway. An ominous silence filled the air and was broken a second later when Pippin's curiosity sent a skeleton tumbling down a deep chute. The crashes and booms echoed in the stone constructs of Moria. The Company looked at each other in the tense silence, fearing the worst.   
  
"Fool of a Took!" reprimanded Gandalf. "Throw yourself in next time and rid us of your stupidity!"   
  
Nicole winced. It sounded so much harsher in reality and she felt sorry for Pippin, but her pity was quickly replaced by fear.   
  
A boom sounded in a far off corner of Moria. Gandalf rounded on Pippin, but it wasn't him this time. Two booms. Everyone turned to look at the chute. Boom boom boom!   
  
Orc calls and goblin shrieks exploded in the immense expanse of Dwarrowdelf. Instantly the men were whipped into action. The hobbits stood to the rear, Sting glowing blue among the other three drawn blades. Gandalf stood before them, Glamdring ready in his hand. Boromir, Aragorn and Legolas barred the door against the cave troll Boromir had glimpsed. Then Aragorn and Legolas drew bows and arrows and Boromir prepared his sword. Gimli sprang on to the tomb of his cousin, wielding his axe and threatening anyone who would dare to attack the last Dwarf breathing in Moria.   
  
Nicole stood behind them all, astounded by the people she had seen only as friends, now becoming dangerous and deadly. The booms echoed again and the first Orcs broke through the rotting wooden doors and Nicole saw the warriors in action.   
  
Nicole couldn't get her mind around what was going on around her, and so didn't notice the Orc that had come up behind her and shoved her roughly to the ground. Her terrified eyes saw a roughly-hewn blade whistled through the air, aimed at her head. She was suddenly aware also of an extreme pain as somebody grabbed her by her injured left shoulder and put her back on her feet. Legolas steadied her and promptly sliced off the Orcs head with one knife before moving on to other Orcs. Nicole clamped her mouth firmly shut to keep from gasping and crying at the fresh pain and abuse her shoulder had received. Aragorn spared a moment to shout to her.   
  
"Either fight or get out of our way!" The statement could be understood as anger, but Nicole knew that it was actually wisdom, warning, and a tiny bit of worry.   
  
Nicole backed into a corner, undecided about her actions. What weapons could she use to fight? She knew a bit about axes, and what little Aragorn and Boromir had taught her with her dagger. She watched Gimli and Legolas, who were fighting with weapons similar to that which she could use. Nicole stooped to pick up an axe from a skeleton, hefted it in her right hand, then forced her left fingers to grip her dagger. She charged into the foray, trying to mimic and mix Legolas' graceful moves and Gimli's roughness. It didn't work very well, she figured out fairly quickly, and gave up and gave in to her instincts instead.   
  
An Orc came up on her left and she stabbed her dagger into it's neck with as much as force as she could muster from her shoulder. She heard the squelch of blood and felt it drip onto her fingers. She quickly pulled the dagger back out. Nausea returned as she realized she had just killed something. Before she could dwell on it or throw up, another Orc charged her and she swung the axe upwards, hitting it in the stomach.   
  
Immediately another one came at her from the side. Nicole dropped to her knees and the Orc simply rolled over her back. She groaned as the Orc's various limbs and weapons poked sharply into her bruised back, causing more damage and forcing her to fall forward onto her stomach. The attacking Orc had recovered and she turned on her back just in time to see it's ugly form pin her down to the rocks. Its hideous face snarled at her as they struggled. The Orc held her left hand and punched her in the jaw with its free hand. She tasted blood and felt a gash open up on both her cheek and the inside of her cheek as she bit it. The Orc was clearly more powerful and Nicole felt sure that it was close to the end for her. But the Orc's grip on her left hand loosened as it tried to hold down her squirming form and Nicole used the opportunity to bring the dagger's pommel down on the creature's head with all her force. Miraculously, the Orc slouched forward, unconscious. Except now she was stuck under its weight. Nicole tried to get her knees up to her stomach and then she heaved the Orc off of her using her legs.   
  
She stood shakily and tried to smile, though it was more of a grimace. "I think I'm getting the hang of this," she commented, and grinned because somewhere over the crash, clang, and crunch of battle, Sam was saying the same thing.   
  
Nicole glanced around her while she had a spare moment. Most of them were dealing with the cave troll, which had now broken into the room. She spotted a bunch of Orcs heading in the direction of Merry, Pippin, and Sam, and went after them. Nicole limped/sprinted past the cave troll and paused for a moment to hurl the axe at the cave troll's leg. The axe just skimmed the skin, not enough to seriously harm it. Nicole swore under her breath and darted away before the cave troll could go after her. She picked up a jagged shield from a corpse to replace the axe.   
  
An Orc jumped into her path to the hobbits and she roughly body checked it into the wall. Her left side muscles screamed in protest at being treated so roughly, but she clenched her jaw and kept moving. Finally reaching the six Orcs that were after the hobbits, Nicole swung the shield in an arc around her head and brought it down in a whirl. It was hard to manage because she had to do it two handed, and had to take care not to drop the dagger on her head or to injure her shoulder. As the arc swung downwards to its close, she let go of the shield, sending it flying through the air like a Frisbee. It knocked two Orcs out of the running and Nicole advanced before they could recover.   
  
She shoved another ugly creature aside, punched one roughly in the face, her hand coming away bloody. The hobbits had taken down one Orc and were now clinging all over the last one. It shouted and toppled over. Merry yelled victoriously and Nicole was about to comment that she should've let the hobbits handle themselves. Just then another cry rose over the din.   
  
Nicole whirled around. Frodo. She dodged dead and living Orcs and fallen rocks as she wove her way quickly to his side. Merry and Pippin attacked the cave troll and Sam dropped his frying pan, stumbling forward in shock.   
  
Nicole slid to her knees, ripping material and skin as Frodo fell to the ground and just barely caught him. She dropped her dagger and picked up a rock the size of her palm. She threw the rock at Aragorn to get his attention and it hit his arm. The action was unnecessary, except perhaps to turn his attention to a fallen spear. He picked it up and savagely struck the cave troll. Legolas used the moment to his advantage and when the troll opened it's mouth to moan, he shot an arrow into the roof of its mouth, effectively killing it. The cave troll staggered and moaned, and at last, it fell.   
  
Nicole turned back to Frodo, who looked very dead, and Nicole almost forgot that he was going to live. She cradled the hobbit and gently shook his shoulders. The Company must've been confused by her actions, but quickly forgot about it when Frodo coughed and painfully drew air into his lungs. Nicole beamed and helped Frodo to his feet, standing herself and noting that she had acquired more injuries. Oh, the wonderful benefits and perks of fighting: battle scars, she noted sarcastically, and decided to leave the scar-listing till later.   
  
Aragorn stared at the hobbit in amazement. "That spear would've skewered a wild boar," he murmured.   
  
Gandalf smiled knowingly and replied, "I think there is more to this hobbit than meets the eye." And Frodo revealed his glittering coat of mail made of mithril.   
  
Gimli gazed at it enraptured. "Mithril. That coat is worth more then you can imagine," he told Frodo, and took a deep breath as though to prepare for a speech.   
  
It's not that Nicole didn't want to hear the history of mithril (Which I'm sure is completely fascinating, she assured herself.), but they didn't have a lot of time to spare, so she cut him off. "We must leave," she stated simply, hoping that somebody would remember that they weren't here to stand looking at pretty metal shirts. Luckily, everyone agreed, and an instant later they were dashing through a vast hall, thousands of Orcs chasing madly after them and gaining quickly.   
  
Within seconds they were surrounded by snarling crowds of creatures. There was no possible way to fight the droves off: they were outnumbered hundreds to one. Nicole's eyes widened in fear and her knuckles were turning white from the grip she held her dagger in. The concept of surrender was starting to look appealing.   
  
"Anybody have a back-up plan?" she hissed through her teeth. No one did.   
  
A resounding boom echoed in the massive space and everyone, including Orcs, became silent. The boom came again, accompanied by a fiery glow at the far end of the hall. Whatever was coming, it sure scared the hell of out the Orcs because they started screeching and turned tail and fled up the walls. The new danger came closer and the firelight intensified.   
  
The Company stood apprehensive and Boromir voiced their question. "What is this new devilry?"   
  
Gandalf didn't answer them, leaning heavily on his staff before shoving them towards a far-off staircase hidden in a corner. They didn't need much encouragement and broke into a run. Unfortunately, nobody noticed that the staircase veered sharply to the right after descending several steps, and they nearly fell off the edge in their haste. They followed the staircase downwards and then glimpsed another surprise in their path: a gaping hole in between the steps, missing about seven feet of stone, was in their way. The only way to cross would be to jump the gap.   
  
Legolas went first, leaping and landing lightly. Damn Elf… showoff, Nicole grumbled silently. He gestured for Gandalf to come next and steadied him when he landed. Gandalf hurried on a little and Legolas prepared for the next people. The hobbits were helped across by Boromir (tossing Sam, jumping across with Pippin, and catching Merry), except Frodo who as standing back with Aragorn. A great wrenching sound was heard as the rocks around them began to fall. Gimli jumped next, and nearly made it, but had to be caught by his beard as he slipped. He complained loudly about it, but was thankful that at least his beard was still attached.   
  
Nicole was next. She was getting really annoyed with the Elf for always being the one who 'rescued' her because of his super fast Elf reflexes. "Let's all leave Nicole for last, right? You aren't getting rid of me that easily," she muttered. Watch and learn, Elf, she thought and leaped across the air, landing in a crouch two steps down from Legolas, wincing as sharp pain ripped through her leg. Ok, maybe that wasn't the best idea…but don't let the enemy see you down! She composed her face and glanced up at the Elf triumphantly, extremely tempted to say, "Take that, Mr.-Super-Duper-Elf-Prince!" but she satisfied herself by just thinking it.   
  
She stood up tenderly, taking care not to put too much weight on her ankle, which had almost been healed only a little while ago. But she was quickly forced to duck again when an arrow came flying at her, narrowly missing the space her head had occupied seconds before. They were under attack again, and to add to the trouble, the cave's ceiling was completely caving in.   
  
A huge chunk of stonework fell on the stairs just behind Aragorn and Frodo, leaving them stranded on a tottering island of unstable rock. By some chance, what was left of the staircase tilted forward and they quickly jumped to safety. The group fled down the stairs into yet another hall, spurred on by Gandalf shouting to hurry. What else would we be doing???? Nicole thought, wincing at every second footfall. This is not helping my ankle! The fire had come much closer now and was beginning to take shape.   
  
Gandalf stopped in his tracks and shouted again to them. "The Bridge of Khazad-dum is just ahead, hurry!"   
  
They ran past him, but the stupid Elf just had to look back to see what was chasing them and shouted, "A Balrog!"   
  
Nicole managed to glare at him. "Thanks… It's great… to know… that we're… potential food…" she gasped out between breaths. "Makes… me …feel… so much… better."   
  
He glared in return and shoved her ahead of him onto the bridge. Nicole could've sworn she heard him mutter something that sounded suspiciously like "idiot", but was forced to run ahead before she could react. Stupid Elf! Snob… idiot…I'll get you for that. The second Nicole figured out how exactly that bow of his worked, she was either going to use it on him or break it. Or maybe do both.   
  
The Bridge was no more than a narrow strip of rock stretched over a huge chasm. Gandalf was the last to cross it and he stopped halfway to face the Balrog. The Balrog had a massive size, towering over the impossibly tiny figure of Gandalf. The creature was terrifying, with powerful limbs, demonic horns coming out of its forehead, and a whip made entirely of fire held in one claw. In that moment they all despaired, because it seemed that no one, not even their wise and mighty friend, could triumph over such a beast.  
  
"I am a servant of the Secret Fire, wielder of the flame of Anor. You cannot pass. The dark fire will not avail you, flame of Udun! Go back to the Shadow!" yelled Gandalf. A fierce white light shone from him as he lifted his staff and Glamdring. The dark fire fought against the blinding light. It was not enough, and try as he might, using every last ounce of energy, Gandalf could not prevent the Balrog from advancing on the bridge. Aragorn and Boromir sprang forward to Gandalf's aid, but their swords were rendered useless against the hideous creature.   
  
Gandalf yelled again, "YOU CANNOT PASS!" His staff rang out as it slammed into the rock before him. The rock crumbled and as the Balrog tried to step closer again, the bridge fell away underneath its tremendous weight. Unfortunately, Gandalf's staff had splintered from the power the mighty wizard had exerted. He turned wearily to follow the others off of the bridge. After taking only one step, Gandalf was snapped back to the edge of the broken bridge by the fire whip of the Balrog. He fell off the edge, fingers scrabbling to find a hold. For a moment it seemed that he would pull himself up, but the battle had emptied him of all of his strength. :Fly, you fools!" he cried and was gone, falling into the shadow of the chasm.   
  
"Gandalf!!" shouted Frodo and struggled to get out of Boromir's firm hold. They were rooted to the stop, no one quite believing that the Grey Pilgrim could truly be gone.   
  
Taking advantage of this moment, the Orcs resumed their attack. Arrows and stones fell around them and soon Nicole felt someone pulling her up a stairway by her left arm, ignorant of the pain. They were running through a short passage and were suddenly exiting a set of doors, being thrust into the glaring light of day.   
  
The hobbits collapsed and the rest stood confused, grieved and at a loss for direction. Nicole's knees gave in, her ankle pushed to its limits, and she felt a striking pain in her chest. In a detached manner, she wondered why blackness was edging her sight.   
  
Boromir placed a hand on her unmoving shoulder. Strangely, through his grief, he noticed that she wasn't moving at al, not even to draw air into her lungs. He squeezed her shoulder. "Breathe," he whispered, reminding her.   
  
Of course, cam the distracted thought, I've forgotten to breathe. But even when she filled her system with oxygen, the pain in her chest did not go away. With a start she realized that it was from the effort of holding back tears that threatened to take her over and drown her in grief.   
  
Feeling very much brain dead, Nicole pulled herself to her feet, disconnecting from her aching body. Aragorn had begun to follow a path so she followed him blindly. Letting her feet find their own way, Nicole's consciousness hid itself in a dark corner of her mind. Hiding within herself, she thought of the moment. The moment that had passed, when Gandalf had been a friend, a defender, and tangible. She thought too, of the moment that was to come, when they had no guide, no sage advice to follow, and when Gandalf was just a memory.   
  
  
  
**A/N: whoa... sorry, I think that's the longest chapter I'll ever write. Actually, tell me if you liked the longer chapters or the shorter chapters better. I had to put this up really fast, so I don't know if there aren't a couple of mistakes here and there. Plz try to ignore them, or pretend you know what I'm saying. If it's really unreadable, tell me in a review. Thanks! ~MoI~**  



	13. Lothlorien, Where Secrets Are Revealed

**A/N: Lol... everyone hates me for making Legolas so mean!!! Aww.... don't feel too bad, cuz I'm actually his biggest fan, but I'm just sick of seeing him being friends with everyone. Don't worry, something will happen and.... lets just say, he'll accept Nicole for who she is. hehehe, authors privelege: I get to keep my secrets! Thanks for all the reviews! And sorry for all the bad formatting in Chapter 12... the file was really weird and it got messed up when I uploaded it. Hopefully you were able to see when Nicole was thinking and when it was narrative.**

**LoTR Movie Critic: I agree... Pippin is always acting so stupid. I think I'm going to start making him smarter. lol... Pippin the genius...  
Sarah G: I think you are the only one who doesn't mind what I've done to Legolas... lol... Don't worry about Haldir, he's in there!  
Feathers of the Wind: I use metaphors??? since when? lol... blame it on English class.  
Levanna: Nicole's problem is going to be figured out in this chapter... though you will all probably hate me when you find out. I think Azza is... well, its new. I'm going to use it in one of the next chapters...**

**If anyone else has other names for Aragorn, let me know. And review, especially after you see what happens in this chapter. I'm pretty sure all I will get will be bad reviews.  
And thanks to all the other reviewers, keep it up!!! :D you make me happy, and when I'm happy, I write!  
Ok, this author's note is getting really long, so I'll get going with the story. Enjoy!**

**Disclaimer: it's all the property of Tolkien, except for Nicole who, dysfunctional though she is, is mine.**

**Home Sweet Home**

**Chapter Thirteen ~ Lothlorien, Where Secrets Are Revealed**

The gentle sound of trickling water brought Nicole out of the trance-like state she had become stuck in. They had reached a small river and had at some point entered a forest. Nicole's brow creased: she couldn't remember anything about the journey from Moria to this place.

"Where are we?" she asked, her voice breaking and squeaking from not being used in a long time. The traveling group turned in surprise. The girl had been silent, eerily similar to the walking dead.

"We have reached the river called Nimrodel," replied Legolas, awe of the river clearly displayed in voice and face.

"Are you alright?" asked Boromir softly as they approached the water's edge. Nicole realized that he was walking with one arm around her, in a sort of protective half-hug. The gesture was comforting and Nicole was happy for the support. "You haven't said anything the entire day. Do you remember what happened?"

_Remember what? I hope I didn't do anything stupid... _she paused, a thought coming to the forefront. _The last thing I remember is... _she swallowed hard. "Gandalf," she began to say, but stopped because her voice ached and the memory was painful. She turned her face away. Nicole didn't want to cry... _It's amazing how quickly you can befriend people and be terrified when you lose them... _Then they were wading across the river. The cold water reached to Nicole's knees and the stream felt pure and refreshing. It helped Nicole clear her head and the constant nausea eased the tiniest bit.

It was already dark when they crossed the water so they began to set up a camp close to the river in a grove of tall trees. Or rather, they were actually going to camp in the trees, in case any Orcs came after them. Legolas climbed one of the huge trees to find a good place for the 'camp'. Suddenly his shadowy form shouted and jumped down from the tree. Three grey shadows came down after him. Legolas and the other three spoke in swift and quiet Elvish and Nicole almost couldn't catch what they were saying. It was simply an explanation of who they were, and the three people replied that they had heard them and waited. The three, Elves of Lorien, Nicole realized slowly with her sluggish brain, nodded and turned to the Company.

"I am Haldir," said one Elf. Gesturing to the other two Elves he said, "This is Rumil, and Orophin. They do not speak your speech so I must be your translator. We bring you a message from the Lord and Lady of the Golden Wood: they await you." The Elves all carried weapons at the ready. I_t would appear that even Lorien is not safe from the troubles of Middle-Earth, _Nicole mused. _Eek! There you go again! Stop THINKING!!!!!!!!!!!_

Gimli quickly panicked at Haldir's words. Naturally, the Dwarf didn't like the thought of going to see more Elves, much less the rulers of Lothlorien. "We should go back," he muttered.

Haldir turned his attention to the Dwarf. "You cannot go back, now that you are in the Lady's realm. Tomorrow we will take you to the city, but now you must rest. It is easy to see that you are weary from a long day. Come, let us go to the trees, for the Orcs hunt in these woods tonight."

The group split up for the night, the hobbits going with Rumil in one tree, and the others going with Orophin and Haldir to the tree from which they had first appeared. They climbed the trees with ladders thrown down for those who couldn't climb the branches. Nicole used the ladder for the first couple of feet but then switched to the branches because it was a lot more fun (Nicole's mind: _Whee!!! I'm a monkey!!!_). The destination which they eventually reached was a flet, or talan in Elvish, built very high and had no walls.

"Are you people sure I won't roll off?" Nicole asked, looking cautiously over the edge of the flet. It had to be at least three stories high, probably more. And it wouldn't be a very comfortable drop, because there were plenty of nice, big, wooden, hard branches to bang your head on while going down. 

"Sleep in the middle," Aragorn suggested.

"Ahh... wise you are, young Jedi Knight," she replied and took one of the blankets offered to her by Orophin. Just for fun, she thanked him in Elvish: it was so funny to see his expression. Nicole lay down in the middle of the flet and quickly fell asleep with Boromir on one side and Gimli on the other.

A couple of hours later, she woke again, because she had slept enough and her back was bothering her. Nicole saw that she couldn't have slept for more than four or five hours because it was still very dark in the surrounding tree tops. She stayed still and tried not to move so that she wouldn't wake the others.

*Is that who--?* Orophin began in a whisper.

*Yes,* replied Haldir softly.

*I do not understand why--*

*The Lady knows,* Haldir replied shortly, cutting him off again. That answer seemed to satisfy Orophin. The Elves returned to the usual Elfin silence. Nicole wondered about this strange abrupt conversation. Who could they have been talking about? Whatever it was about, it had seemed secret, so Nicole waited a while before getting up. It wouldn't be a good thing to have the Elves find out that she had overheard them.

She climbed carefully to her feet, trying not to step on anyone's hand, foot or head. Nicole smiled at the two Elves in greeting and carefully climbed down the tree, about four or five branches below the flet. Nicole assumed that Legolas would be farther down or in the forest, keeping watch, because he hadn't been on the flet. She stayed where she was, leaning her back carefully against the trunk of the tree, letting her legs hang over the branch. The quiet of the forest and the solitude helped her concentrate so that she could sort out her memories.

In the darkness of the night, under the cover of leaves, Nicole relieved the memory that she had kept out of her mind for the whole day, and wept. Silent tears slipped down her cheeks and she bit her lip hard to keep from making a sound. _How can it be possible? _she thought, feeling alone and childlike without Gandalf's guidance. _Gandalf was the strongest one, he was good, and good always wins. He was infallible._

Noises from below snapped Nicole from her thoughts. Many feet trying to travel in stealth and the quiet crunch of boot on ground reached her ears. Legolas came nimbly climbing up the branches. As he passed her, Nicole straightened herself, but there was no doubt that his Elf eyes had not missed the tears on her face. He paused for a moment in silence. Then he whispered, "Orcs" and was gone, darting up the tree to inform Haldir and Orophin.

Nicole brushed a hand across her eyes, embarrassed by what he had seen. The girl had hidden in the branches to grieve unseen, but that plan had failed. Nicole pulled her knees up to her chin and wrapped her arms around herself. This time it wasn't for warmth, it was for comfort.

She stayed like that, hidden in the shadows, for a long time, until she heard the faint stirring of people above her. The scenery was beginning to lighten and the travelers began to wake up. She waited until Haldir climbed down and then followed him, although with none of his grace or speed. When she reached the lowest branch she carefully dropped to the ground, wincing as her ankle threatened to twist under her weight again. Luckily, it didn't budge and the pain from that injury was already receding. Nicole headed back towards the stream they had passed the previous night. By the time she was half-way there, the hobbits were waking.

The first light of the day shone on the moving water, giving it the appearance of flowing silver. Nicole found a part of the water that was semi-secluded and was still enough to show a reflection. It was blurry but Nicole could make out her face vaguely. A line of red about an inch and a half long ran across her jawbone. _Another battle scar, and I can't even remember how I got this one, _she prodded it gently with her finger. The pain came with an image: a hideous Orc attacking her and punching her in the face. _Ouch... oh yeah, now I remember._ She started to try to clean the wound with her fingers, but decided on a better course of action. Nicole dipped her hands into the cold water and splashed her face with the water. _I can't believe how great water is... so nice and clean! _The fresh water felt so good on her skin that she couldn't resist dunking her whole head in, knowing she would likely regret it later.

Feeling much more ready to face the day, Nicole walked back to their camp, her fingers quickly braiding her hair into a French-braid. The length of her hair surprised her. She tugged a thread out of her fraying sweater-sleeve and tied off her braid with it. _Someone remind me to get new clothes... the grunge look is not for me. _Her clothes were getting worse by the day, her jeans nearly falling to pieces, and she herself looked really bad and travel-worn.

The travelers and Elves were ready to go and Haldir was saying, "It is a law of our land that cannot see the way to the Golden Wood. I must blindfold you," he told Gimli, implying mistrust.

"I am as likely to betray you as to betray one of my fellow travelers," Gimli protested angrily. It looked as though this argument had been going on for a while. "I will not walk blind," Gimli added, emphasizing every word.

Haldir was already beginning to reply and Aragorn sighed, clearly not wanting this to go on for much longer and was impatient to move on.

"Let us all be blindfolded," he said, holding up a hand to quiet them. The Lorien Elves agreed quickly and Gimli did too, glad to see that now everyone would be treated equally. The only one not remotely accepting of this solution was Legolas, who was glaring angrily at Aragorn. 

"I'm clumsy," Nicole said to no one in particular.

"The path is straight and smooth, if you do not stray from it," replied Haldir, tying blindfolds over Nicole and Boromir. Orophin had done Gimli's and Aragorn's, Legolas reluctantly did his own, and Rumil helped the hobbits.

Despite Haldir's words, Nicole wasn't feeling too sure and didn't like the idea of walking blind. "Borry?" she asked quietly. Aragorn chuckled at the ridiculous nickname but Boromir's voice answered, close on her left. 

"I'm here."

"Good," she replied and put her hand out into the air for a moment before she could find Boromir's. He led her as they walked, like a big brother who knew everything, leading his little sister safely through obstacles. Nicole loved that feeling, although she would be happier if she could at least properly defend herself sometimes instead of just getting hurt.

With her eyesight gone, her other senses made up for the loss. Nicole had never known that a forest could be so full of sounds and that people made so much noise when they walked. Squirrels and birds chattered in the trees somewhere above their heads, the hobbits were shuffling along uncertainly, the Elves made no noise at all. The shade from the sun felt cool on her face and when a small breeze came along, it would chill her hair and Nicole realized that you really can get sick from going outside with wet hair (she hadn't ever believed it before). Unfortunately, without any sights to distract her, she was more aware of the nausea and had to make an effort to keep it at bay.

They spent the entire day walking blindly. _I don't think these people ever tire of walking. It must be something like TV or the Internet to them. _ Around three or four hours after they had left, Nicole was extremely bored (as usual), and felt sure enough of her footsteps to explore a little. She let go of Boromir's hand and started walking to the right, one hand stretched out before her. Her fingertips slid across the smooth tree bark and she tried to trace the intricate pattern on the trunk. When the wind moved the trees, she could feel the tree shift under her hand, swaying. It made it seem as though the trees were just as alive as she was. She walked forward, following the sounds of the Company's footsteps. Nicole walked beside them, only off the path to the side, closer to the cover of the trees.

*Watch out!* she heard Orophin yell in warning.

Nicole's foot hit a tree root that stuck up from the ground and she was sent flying forwards. _Stupid Elves don't believe me when I say I'm clumsy! Ha, now you have proof! _she grumbled. Nicole hit something hard, but it luckily wasn't the ground. "What a weird tree," she commented, fingers reaching forward to examine the bark of this new tree. She felt fabric under her fingers and realized her mistake. "Oops," Nicole said, wondering which person she had hit. "Sorry, who did I walk into?"

"Didn't I say that you would not fall if you stayed on the path?" asked Haldir. If she hadn't been blindfolded, she would have seen that Haldir had an amused smile and had raised an eyebrow at the young girl.

*Yeah, uh, s-sorry abut that,* she stammered in Elvish, terrified that she might get into trouble for it. *But how am I supposed to watch out, _Orophin_, when I am blindfolded?* she asked loudly, not sure of where the other Elf was.

*Perhaps I should have told you earlier,* admitted Orophin from somewhere behind her. Also unknown to Nicole, he was smiling at Haldir over her head, also amused by her. *Let us continue, and do not stray from the path again,* he said to her in a serious voice.

Nicole went back to holding Boromir's hand and didn't try to explore anymore. The girl mistakenly thought that the Elves were angry with her, when in fact the Elves had just found their new source of amusement. This day seemed to be made to embarrass her in front of various Elves. What she didn't know was that this was soon to become a popular trend.

The day wore on and after a very long time, Haldir told them that they could take off the blindfolds. _Geez, took them long enough. I'll be surprised if I don't remain permanently blind because of this. _ But her sight remained and the sights she saw were worth the day of blindness. They were surrounded by towering trees of silver bark and golden leaf. They were the _mellyrn_, or mallorn, Haldir explained to them. They grew only in Lothlorien. He led them south-west and soon reached the gate of the city. It was opened for them by unseen guards and they entered into the city.

Soft white lights illuminated the Elf city as night fell, showing deserted green paths leading through the trees. High above their heads, the Fellowship heard voices singing and laughing. The Elves of this fair city did not seem troubled by the threats of Mordor and that eased the Fellowship's worries. Rumil and Orophin left them to keep the watch at the northern border, while Haldir led them into the heart of the city.

"Bye!" she yelled to the retreating forms of the two Elves. "Have fun!" Then she remembered that those two didn't speak Common, so she was about to repeat the message in Elvish, but seeing another Elf come out of the trees to see who was making all the noise made her stop. _Oh joy, yet another Elf who thinks I'm crazy, _she commented as the Elf gave her a disapproving look and disappeared back into the trees.

Haldir walked with them to the base of a huge mallorn. A staircase wound around the trunk of the gigantic tree and was watched by two Elves dressed in the manner of an honor guard. "I leave you here," said Haldir. "I must return to the northern border of our land. There will be trouble there by now with the Orcs from Moria." He bid them farewell, directed another one of those popular disapproving Elf looks at Nicole, and left them to the two Elves.

*You may ascend the stairs,* said the Elf standing on the right side. Aragorn and Legolas led the way as the Fellowship began the long climb obediently. Nicole was about to follow them but the Elves blocked her passage. *The Lord and Lady do not wish to see you yet.*

*Fine,* she sighed and sat down on the springy ground for lack of a proper seat. _Why is every Elf against me? This is not fair. What ever happened to equality??? _There was silence for a few minutes, but it bored Nicole so she pestered the Elves.

*What're your names?* she asked, hoping that she wouldn't do anything stupid during this conversation.

*I am Andoril,* said the right-side Elf.

*I am Gildien,* replied the other Elf.

*We are the Stair Wardens,* they said in unison.

Nicole regarded them and raised an eyebrow. *That was completely spontaneous and unrehearsed,* she said sarcastically. *I'm Nicole. What's up?*

Gildien replied shortly, *The house of the Lord and Lady.*

*No, I meant-- oh never mind, no one ever gets anything I say,* she said in frustration. Since their faces were emotionless, Nicole couldn't tell but these Elves were also amused by the girl. It wasn't that no one ever understood the girl, rather, she never understood them.

There was a pause and then Andoril asked, *Do you not have an Elven name?*

*No,* she replied, frowning in confusion. *Why should I have an Elven name?*

Andoril was about to reply but Gildien cut him off. *You may ascend the stairs.*

_That was odd, _Nicole thought as she began the climb. _Why should I have an Elven name? And how did they know when I could go up the stairs? These Elves are more than a little creepy. _Two things soon distracted her from her thoughts.

The view was incredible and got better as she climbed higher up the tree. Every majestic mallorn had an elaborate flet-tree house kind of thing perched amongst its branches, crafted so that it didn't harm the tree and could maximize the space by adding levels. The tree houses were remarkable, fulfilling every need a city could have. Stairs wound up most of the trees and some were connected by delicate bridges or arched passageways. The architecture was amazing, but it was only one of the two things that occupied Nicole's mind.

The other thing was the nausea. Though she had finally gotten used to ignoring it, and was getting pretty good at it, it had come back and struck with a vengeance. It was impossible to ignore now. Just like the view, it increased as Nicole climbed on. Her vision varied between doubles and extreme glaring sharpness while her headache flickered between pounding her head and splitting it open.

_I am just **so **glad that I get to meet royal Elf people when I'm perfectly healthy and well-dressed. What great luck! _she thought sourly. _Yeah, what **bad** luck. I hope I don't do anything stupid in front of them, like on my face, throw up or cough up some more blood. Wouldn't that just make the best impression? _She couldn't finish her ranting because in the next second the stairs wound around their last curve.

Whatever people chose to call this place did not do it justice. It was carved of a grey wood and fitted perfectly with the mallorn, making Nicole wonder if maybe some Ancient Elf magic had grown the house out of the tree. There were lanterns hanging from the graceful, laced arches and gave the hall a soft white light. At the far end of the hall there were elegant stairs leading to two elaborate chairs carved with leaves and vines and served as thrones. Kneeling at the bottom of the stairs were eight travel-worn figures, the Fellowship, contrasting sharply with the pristine room. A few steps above them were the Lord and Lady of the Golden Wood.

If you looked upon that majestic pair, all other things would fall from your mind. Lord Celeborn was tell and held himself proudly. His face was wise but could be kindly, and, though it was rare in these dark days, it would be made extremely likeable if he laughed. Though his hair was silver-white, it did not seem to be an effect of age, instead only magnifying the image of high power. Lady Galadriel stood beside him as an equal. In her presence one would feel blessed to look upon her fair looks and yet cower at the sight of the mighty queen. Golden hair fell in long waves around her shoulders and her piercing blue eyes perceived every thought. Beauty and grace were beheld in her face, as she was not enacting the part of the kind and gracious hostess. Together they created a powerful image of immortality, wisdom, and strength.

Staring at them, mouth gaping and eyes wide, Nicole missed the last stair and she fell forward, falling to her knees. She bit her lip hard, fighting the ever present, ever powerful nausea, and clumsily pulled herself to her feet. _I thought I just told myself **not **to do anything stupid, _she scolded herself, fighting back the urge to laugh at how pitiful she must look. _Graceful entrance, Nicole. _Her already loose braid had fallen apart when she fell and despite its unruliness it hid her blushing cheeks. Nicole kept her face down... _there is no way I'm going to survive this city._

A stunned silence filled the room and each pair of eyes turned to stare at Nicole. _How do I get myself out of this mess? _The only solutions the Nicole's brain could come up with would only embarrass her more. The quiet was well on its way to becoming suffocating when a cough, sounding suspiciously like a stifled laugh, broke the silence. Nicole glanced up and saw Merry trying desperately to fight off the giggles while Pippin elbowed him to shut him up.

Nicole couldn't help herself. It was the perfect comment and she couldn't stop it rolling off her tongue. "Now, now, Meriadoc! It is not polite to laugh," she scolded with mock seriousness, though a grin broke out on her face. Merry smiled back, glad to be free of the tense situation for a moment, before everyone's attention was turned back to their hosts as Lady Galadriel spoke.

"Tonight, you shall sleep in peace, for you are weary with sorrow and much toil. Go now and rest," said the Lady and dismissed the Fellowship. They brushed past Nicole and went back down the stairs, Gimli muttering 'good luck' to her under his breath. Nicole was left alone with the two Elves and she had no idea what to do.

*Uhm, it's very--kind, of you to.. er, allow us to enter your country. I mean, land,* she said haltingly, finding it extremely hard to focus enough to make a sentence. Nicole kept her head down and stared at her feet. _Ugh, my sneakers actually were white at some point in time, _she noted in disgust. The laces were barely holding together and the material was a horrible shade of greyish-brown.

*Even in these times of darkness, it is a great pleasure to have royalty from distant lands visiting our woods, Princess Nicole Featherhall of Gaia,* said lord Celeborn, looking slightly amused. Even Galadriel had a small smile on her face.

Nicole hesitated for a moment before realizing that they had called her by the name and title she had invented for herself when she had first come to Middle Earth. She wasn't sure what was amusing them so much and puzzled over it. _Hang on, do they...? _A horrible thought had occurred to her. _But how... what... is that even possible? _ She firmly told her brain to stop stuttering and that Galadriel was 'all-knowing' and so had figured something out.

Despite the explanation Nicole had given herself, she automatically blurted out, *How did you know?* _Well, Nicole, if there was any chance at all of denying anything, I think it's safe to say that you just ruined it, _she thought. Although really, what are the chances of being able to keep a secret from an Elf?

*How did we know what?* asked Galadriel innocently. But a gleam in her eye made the question seem to change into, "Is that a confession?"

*Er, well,* Nicole cleared her throat nervously. *I'm not exactly from around here, am I?*

*It would appear not,* answered Lord Celeborn, taking in Nicole's appearance and strange clothes.

*Oh... uhm,* she couldn't think of anything to say. How could you explain yourself to these Elves? Nicole knew that if they got something into their heads, they were stubborn like donkeys (no offense to Elves!) and whatever their decision, Nicole was probably doomed. _My my my, aren't I the optimist? _she mused. *So I guess I'll be going then,* she said sadly. She would really rather not leave Lorien, since it was a really gorgeous place. _And I'll probably be leaving behind some spas that could fix my grunge look. _Plus she would have to leave the Fellowship (_how would Pippin deal with that? _she wondered) and try to survive life in Middle Earth by herself. _Well Nicole, since we're the same person, can I just say, WE'RE SCREWED! I won't last long out there... good luck to me, _she grumbled gloomily.

*We are not accustomed to such incidents,* said Lord Celeborn. *However, we might allow you to stay, if you wish, if we better understood your history.* He raised an inquisitive eyebrow.

*Really? Thanks,* replied Nicole gratefully, her head filling with images of spas and pillows and not having to fend for herself. *Although I should warn you now that this is going to sound completely ridiculous. It might be better to just say I'm crazy and be done with it.*

*We can make that judgment for ourselves,* Lady Galadriel assured her, a bit of ice creeping into her voice. The two Elves were switching their talking between them and changing tones and it only served to increase Nicole's headache and make her confused.

*Of course, sorry,* she hastily apologized. Nicole was finding it truly challenging to ignore the headache now and rubbed her temples absently with one hand. She began her tale with as much sense as her tired mind could muster. *My name is Nicole, but I'm not royalty or of high ranking. I'm not from a country west of here. I'm not even from this world. The world where-*

*Could you explain that?* Celeborn questioned.

*Sure,* replied Nicole. _Great, now I'm getting interrogated. I hope they don't go all good-cop, bad-cop on me. _*The place where I was born is called Earth, and until a short time ago--* _ how long have I been here? _she wondered. *I lived there. But apparently I didn't belong, and I agree to that, so Germaine pulled me out and tested me--*

*Germaine?* Celeborn interrupted again.

*Yes, she works at the Magetrix. As I was saying,--*

*The Magetrix?* he asked.

Nicole bit her lip hard to prevent her from snapping at him. _Stop bothering royal Elves, Nicole! It'll only get you into trouble! _*It's the system that...oh, never mind, I don't even understand how it works. Let's just say that I didn't belong on Earth, and after some kind of test, the result was that this is the world where I belong. Or at least that's what they told me. They think that I'm **supposed** to be climbing up mountains and fighting off Orcs and dealing with it all, and I'm only... only... I can't remember, but I know I'm less than 18 years old, I think, and isn't that too young for all this marauding around? And how is this supposed to be my place when I'm allergic to it? I'm not sneezing, it's really just my head,* she paused, swaying on her feet, her balance starting to go as an effect of the headache and nausea. _Since when are there stars on the **insides** of buildings? _she wondered idly, blinking to clear her vision.

Galadriel and Celeborn glanced at each other, obviously at a loss about what to do with the somewhat psychotic girl. Celeborn poured here a glass of water from a nearby table and handed it to the young one.

As Nicole drank the water, Galadriel held a strange silent conference with Celeborn with no words being spoken. At length, Celeborn spoke. *We may offer you a choice, but to choose you must hear the whole story.*

*Much that once was is lost, for none now live who remember it,* Galadriel began solemnly.

_Ah, the infamous Ring soliloquy, _Nicole realized. _I think that they think that I don't know anything about Frodo's quest. But if I tell them that I have it all memorized then they'll just kick me out faster. _So she sat and half-listened, trying to take her mind off the pain. _Fine, alright, I'll admit it, I'm not actually listening. If you heard it fifteen times, would you listen? It's more like I'm just staring and looking attentive when in fact I'm just falling right asleep. _She fought the urge to yawn and looked up at the two Elves, wondering how old they really were. _They have to be nearly five thousand years old, give or take a century. Is that old for an Elf? I don't get how they age. Are they like those really old people who just stop counting after a while?_

*It was then that Isildur took up his father's sword,* continued Galadriel, and Nicole nodded to show that she was still listening.

_Anyway, the point is Elves are old. Or maybe wise is a better word. Maybe graceful. Whatever. Anytime I'm around an Elf I feel like a clumsy little kid. So maybe I shouldn't stay in Lorien after all, even though it's pretty. But if I hung around the Elves maybe their smartness and un-clumsiness would rub off on me. _Nicole sighed inwardly. If she ever got over whatever disease or allergy had its claws in her at the moment, then she was definitely going to have to decide what to do with her life.

*...a hobbit, by the name of Bilbo Baggins,* said Galadriel.

_Ooh, time to tune in, she's almost finished, _Nicole thought, returning to the present moment.

*And he left the Ring to Frodo who, by his own decision, was made the Ringbearer at the Council of Elrond,* Galadriel explained to her. *At the council eight companions were chosen to aid Frodo in his quest.*

*He must go to Mordor, to Mount Doom, and destroy the Ring of Power,* concluded Celeborn. His voice relayed the hope and trust placed in the seemingly desperate mission.

Having already read and seen this story back on Earth, this was not live-breaking news to Nicole. But she hadn't expected to hear the words and **feel **how heavily life depended on this and how urgent the deed was. The monumental task felt too big and too real.

*It's all so- so important,* she said quietly. *It's too big... too much for one person,* she finished feebly, feeling incredibly sorry for Frodo. *It's too much for this world. And now I'm here too.*

*We can only offer you shelter for as long as our people remain here,* Celeborn said kindly.

*It is not clear to us how you came to be here, but even if we knew, it is not in the power of Elves to send you to your home,* Galadriel added.

*Home sweet home,* sighed Nicole sadly. *It used to be there but I guess now it's here.*

Celeborn exchanged another silent conversation with Galadriel. Something was decided and it fell to the Lady to speak of it.

*Even should you return there, you would not be easily accepted back, * she said cautiously.

They were strange words and Nicole didn't like the sound of them. *What do you mean?*

Silently, Galadriel reached over to a small side table and handed a mirror to Nicole. It was small, light, and silver, with a delicate vine pattern engraved on the back. Nicole looked into the glass, half expecting her face to be green and erupting in boils, or something equally disgusting. What she saw was the exact opposite and she found it hard to recognize herself.

_Stop being ridiculous. It's just that you haven't seen your reflection properly for a while and it's surprising. _The firm mental voice silenced itself as Nicole looked more closely, poking her face with one finger. _I've changed. Look, my cheekbones are higher. And I look so graceful and... noble. _Actually, her appearance reminded her a lot of Galadriel, or Haldir, or even Legolas. _Ha, wouldn't that be funny? Me, an Elf. That would be crazy. I'd drive all the other Elves mad. Hey, my hair is darker too. And... _she paused, and her eyes widened in shock. Poking her eyelid proved that she wasn't dreaming. _Are my eyes **blue**? How the hell did that happen? It's impossible!_

Nicole's hands dropped to her sides and she held the mirror limply in her lap. She gaped at the Elves standing before her. _Maybe they drugged me. Or put something in the water... just hallucinating... _her mind was having a bit of trouble accepting this, since it was impossible. Vision swam, head pounded, and all the contents of her abdomen were trying to her out through her throat.

"What is going on? What is this?" Nicole rasped, unconsciously reverting to English, though that language was sluggish to her now. The Elves gave her blank stares and Nicole impatiently repeated herself in their language.

*We cannot be sure,* replied Lord Celeborn. *But it seems likely that when you switched worlds, you also switched race.*

Nicole's stomach dropped like a stone. *What?!* she demanded, horrified. _But only my eye color changed... and maybe a few little details..._

Lady Galadriel and Lord Celeborn came closer to her. The Lady took the mirror from Nicole's limp hands and held it up to Nicole's face at a slight angle. *May I?* asked Lord Celeborn, reaching forward, and Nicole nodded. He brushed the hair off her face with graceful fingers, tucking the strands behind her ear.

_Oh my god, my **EAR. **_Nicole couldn't understand what she was seeing. The image barely registered to her. _It's **pointed**. Like... like..._

*My dear,* Galadriel comforted her. *You are an Elf.*

*No... no!* she stammered. *It's not... no. How? But... I can't, I can't! It's too much. This is just too much...* Nicole's system completely refused this new information. She collapsed and escaped the strange sights in Lothlorien, Land of Elves.

**A/N: Tada! See, it's all been explained. Now go review while I write the next chapter! ~m~**


	14. Pillows, Soap, and Food, Oh My!

**A/N: I think I should update this often all the time... I get more reviews that way!!! Thanks to all my reviewers, you guys are the best! And to reward you for your reviewing efforts, this is the shortest author's note I've ever written! ~m~**

**Disclaimer: Tolkien owns everything, except Nicole. She's mine, can you tell? lol**

**Home Sweet Home**

**Chapter Fourteen ~ Pillows, Soap, and Food, Oh My!**

The world came into focus for a moment, allowing Nicole to glimpse a room and vague shapes moving around her. It also reminded her of the headache that had yet to go away. One of the moving figures pressed something into her hand to drink. It took a bit of work to make her fingers hold the cup properly, but she gulped it down. Within seconds she fell back into unconsciousness.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Nicole stirred at last, reluctant to fully wake up. If she woke up, she'd have to face more walking (how thrilling), more pain (doesn't it feel great?), and of course, the company of the same people, who were getting just a little bit boring (yawn...). So she turned onto her side, one hand still in the habit of searching for a pillow, even though Nicole knew by now that there never was one. Until now. Her fingers met with soft, luscious fabric that covered a huge fluffy pillow. If anything can wake Nicole up at this point, it's pillows.

"Pillow!!!!" she exclaimed sitting up in a real bed, also a very happy discovery, and hugged the pillow to her chest. "Wow, I've missed pillows. And beds. And sleeping, in general." The girl sighed happily and flopped back down onto her pillow-laden bed. _But what am I doing in a bed? I'm grateful, but how did I get here? I remember... walking, what a surprise. And... what else? Oh yeah, we got to Lothlorien. And then there were billions and billions of stairs. I felt like the living dead. A mirror... and I fainted because... oh shit, I'm an Elf. _The sudden remembrance of what she was, combined with a sound at the door to her room, caused her to fall out onto the floor and duck behind the tall bed.

A young Elf entered the room with a bundle in her hands. _I'm guessing she's young... you never know with these Elves. I'm an Elf. _ Nicole cringed a little. She needed to stop thinking about it and then maybe it would go away. The young Elf placed the bundle on a table beside a wardrobe and moved towards the bed seemingly to check on Nicole. The Elf looked at the rumpled sheets, noting that they were missing the occupant, and turned to go inform some superior.

*Hey, you! With the hair!* Nicole said from her hiding place ducked under the bed. The Elf whipped around, surprised that the girl was in the room. Nicole carefully rose to her knees, still cowering behind the bed. *Uhm... who are you?* she asked.

*Eletarien, milady,* the Elf said, bowing her head slightly.

*Ok... I'm Nicole,* she paused, kind of uncomfortable with her next question. *Do you maybe have any food?* she asked timidly.

*Oh! Of course, how could I forget!* Eletarien exclaimed and then ran out of the room.

_Hello??? Leave the poor girl all by herself when she's talking to you, why don't you! Come back!!! I need FOOD!!!!!! _Nicole slumped against the bed, frowning at the ridiculous Elves who thought that food apparently wasn't important. _I'm an Elf. _The thought came unbidden and Nicole cringed again. _Stop thinking it!!! _Nicole looked for a distraction and quickly found one: the room.

It was fairly large, with several huge windows letting in tons of light. By the slant of the sunlight, Nicole could tell that she had slept into the late morning. The bed was placed against the back of the centre wall, with small tables on each side. A wardrobe was along the wall halfway from the left-side of the bed to the door where the Elf had come from. On the right side of the bed, against the other wall were two chairs and a coffee table. _Or what would be a coffee table, if Elves drank coffee. I'm an Elf. Dammit, Nicole, STOP! _She turned her attention back to the room. And finally, in the farthest corner of the room a screen was set up, blocking whatever was behind it from view. This caught her curiosity, but she wasn't sure if she was allowed to explore, since she was a guest.

Nicole had just made up her mind to check what was behind the screen when someone came into the room again. She halted and turned, wondering if it was that Elf girl again. It was her, and also another Elf, this one a male and older. Nicole noticed the lack of food and her shoulders slumped.

*Hi,* she said half-heartedly, walking back to the bed and collapsing on it. She turned onto her back and stared up at her two upside-down visitors. *What's up?*

The girl frowned but the older Elf came forward and immediately began fussing around Nicole.

*I have heard that you sustained injuries,* he explained as he pushed Nicole into a sitting position. *Can you tell me where it hurts?* he asked, opening Nicole's mouth and peering in before shutting it and checking her pupils.

*I'm Nicole,* she replied, ignoring his questions and demanding an introduction.

*I am the healer, my name is Rianden. Please answer my question.* the Elf replied tersely.

*Fine fine. Pleased to meet you,* Nicole said. *I had a headache. But it's gone now. And I was nauseous, but now I'm just hungry,* she shot a meaningful glance at the younger Elf, who suddenly remembered about it and flushed guiltily. *My ankle got twisted, but it's better. And... oh yeah, my back got badly bruised. It's fixed too. Anything else?* she asked. _ Maybe if he thinks I'm healthy he'll give me some food._

The healer paused, looking up at her halfway through examining her ankle. *Nothing is in pain? Are you certain?*

*I can move, can't I?* she answered and turned to the Elf girl. *Food?* she pleaded.

*Not even mild dizziness?* the healer questioned.

*No,* Nicole said irritated. *What does a girl have to do to get some food around here?*

*If you are certain...* the healer paused, allowing Nicole a moment to take up his services if she wished. *Very well, I shall leave you. Please tell me should anything happen.* The older Elf left the room and Nicole rounded on the younger Elf.

*Food!* she exclaimed, glaring at the Elf.

*Yes, milady, of course,* the Elf said, once again turning to go.

*Hey, hold on, the last time you left, you came back with a healer. Just tell me where I can get food, and I'll go myself,* she said.

*No, milady, you cannot,* the Elf replied. *Lady Galadriel wishes you to dine with her for the noon meal.*

*Huh? Oh, lunch? Ok, lead the way,* Nicole replied, enthused by the thought of food, and already trying to push the startled Elf out the doorway.

*Certainly you do not wish to leave dressed in such a manner!* she said in shock.

*What's wrong with this?* Nicole asked, still dressed in her ancient, decaying clothes. She wrinkled her nose at how she looked. *Ok, fine, maybe this isn't the best outfit. Do you have a shirt I could borrow?*

The Elf was already at the wardrobe and began flipping through clothes quickly, pulling out two dresses. She held up a dark blue dress in one hand and a light yellow one in the other. Both dresses were of similar styles and it was up to Nicole to simply pick a color.

*Do you have anything in... oh, let's say... cotton? Or maybe a nice poly-viscose-linen blend?* Nicole began naming random fabrics, anything that wasn't the satin-y, girly dress that the Elf was showing her. The Elf just frowned and pushed the yellow dress at her.

*You should wear this one,* she said, closing the wardrobe again and moving past Nicole to the secretive corner of the room. The Elf folded the screen part way, revealing another window, albeit smaller, and... a bathtub. With a nice, soft, huge, fluffy towel sitting on a stool beside it.

Nicole dumped the dress on the bed and raced forward. *I'm in heaven! A bathtub!!! Clean, clean at last!* she exclaimed, urging the Elf to turn the water on. The mechanism confused Nicole because she couldn't see a tap, so she let the Elf do it. 

*You may leave your clothes in this bag,* the Elf said, procuring a bag from somewhere while Nicole was absorbed by the rapidly-filling bathtub. *I will leave you and return soon, and then you may have your food.* The Elf smiled slightly, amused by Nicole's obsession with food.

*Thanks bunches!* Nicole replied happily as the Elf put the screen back. *Hey, wait a second... um... you.... with the hair...* Nicole realized she had forgotten the Elf's name. *Um, what's your name, again?* she asked from behind the screen.

She heard the Elf laugh and reply, *Eletarien.*

*What?!* Nicole yelled over the noise of her splashing into the tub, leaving her clothes in a dirty pile, completely disregarding the bag.

The Elf mistook Nicole's shout for alarm and poked her head around the screen. *Are you alright, milady?*

*Yeah, I'm fine,* Nicole replied, sinking up to her chin in the foamy water. *But what did you say your name was? I'm sorry, I didn't hear it.*

*Eletarien, milady,* the Elf said with a smile.

*And you expect me to pronounce that?* 

*Yes...* the Elf replied uncertainly.

*Can I maybe call you... Ella? Or Tarry? Or Rien? Your whole name is confusing,* Nicole explained apologetically.

The Elf thought for a moment. *I don't mind. I rather liked the first one.*

*Great,* Nicole sighed with relief. *Thanks again, Ella.*

She heard the door to her room close a few moments later, confirming that Nicole was alone again. She gratefully dunked her head under the water and let it wash away all the grit and grime that had accumulated from her travels.

"Yuck... this is disgusting," Nicole said, scrubbing at her toes with a block of soap she had discovered sitting on the towel. "I never _ever _want to go that long without being clean again. Can't somebody out here invent portable showers? Or somehow make traveling less messier?" She continued to ramble on about random things until she finally got to washing her hair. Dunking under the water again, she scrubbed at her hair, expecting it to be even worse than the rest of her body. Surprisingly, it was fairly clean and smooth, and its length still surprised Nicole. Having finished scrubbing her skin raw, and finally satisfied that she was completely clean, Nicole got out of the tub and wrapped the towel around herself, reaching to just past her knees. There was only one towel, so her hair had to be left down and dripping. _Do I HAVE to be this stupid? Why did I leave the clothes on the other side of the screen? _Nicole could've kicked herself for her forgetfulness. Peeking around the edge of the screen, Nicole made sure that no one else had entered the room. _You never know with these Elves, they're so quiet. I'm an Elf. _She cringed again. How was she ever going to accept this if she couldn't even stand the thought of it?

Nicole got rid of the unwanted thoughts by busying herself with getting dressed. Thankfully, in addition to giving her the dress, Nicole found that Ella had given her clean undergarments. She quickly dressed and struggled for a moment with the ribbon that pulled the material tight, fumbling to tie it up. She had nearly finished when the ribbon, just as silky as the rest of the dress, but more slippery, and it slipped through her fingers causing the last part to completely fall apart into a loose jumble of ribbon that was nearly strangling her to death.

*Here, let me,* said Ella, taking Nicole by surprise. The Elf's fingers deftly tied off the ribbon within seconds.

*Can you make more noise next time?* Nicole asked, shaken by the sudden appearance of the girl.

*What do you mean?*

*You scared me. If you Elves weren't so silent...* Nicole trailed off, again thinking _I'm an Elf_. Nicole frowned at the repetitive thought. _I can't get over that. Why an Elf? Ok, they're graceful and beautiful and wise and cool and immortal and talented.... but that is nothing like me. So why an Elf and not a Dwarf? Gimli would've shown me the ways of the Dwarf... it would have been so much more fun. But then I'd have to shrink... and have really ugly hair. Ok... maybe I can see why I'm an Elf and not a Dwarf. _Nicole shrugged, half-accepting her train of thought.

*Milady?* Ella asked timidly.

*Who?* Nicole replied, looking around to see who the Elf had been addressing.

*You, milady,* Ella said uncertainly. *Are you quite well? Perhaps I should call for Rianden?*

*Who, me? No, I'm fine... Hey, do you have any mirrors around here?* Nicole asked, changing the subject and wanting to see how she looked. 

Ella directed her to the wardrobe and opened the doors, showing Nicole a mirror on the inside. *Perhaps milady would wish something done with her hair?* she queried, maintaining her formal attitude.

Nicole regarded her image. The dress fit her well, she had to say with much disappointment. And she looked very much like an Elf, also to her dismay. Her ears hadn't changed, but that was to be expected, since she was *officially* an Elf. The only two things that really bothered her about her appearance (she was getting used to the Elfness) was that she had no shoes. Ella quickly remedied that by giving her a pair of light grey shoes that were soft like slippers, and Nicole doubted very much that they would protect her feet. The second thing that bothered her was her hair. It hung dripping and soaking the material of the dress, in thick chunky strands that looked like wet snakes. The hair was the only thing that completely threw off the Elven image.

*Alright, fine, we can change the hair,* Nicole grumbled at the same time as her stomach. *But let's do it fast. Food!*

Ella quickly pushed Nicole into a chair, whipped out a fresh dry towel and started to dry her hair. Minutes later, it was straight, shiny, and styled in the Elf fashion. Which meant that her ears showed.

Nicole shifted uncomfortably when she saw her new hair-do. *Are you sure about this?*

*Milady?* Ella asked, confused.

*It shows my ears.* 

*Is that a problem?*

She sighed. There was no way to explain it to the Elf. *I guess it's normal for you. Fine, leave it like this. Thanks. Let's go chow down.*

*Pardon?* Ella looked very confused.

*Chow down!* Nicole repeated. *Eat, consume... eat... I can't think of any more synonyms for eat... yeah.... let's eat.*

Ella laughed, unable to contain herself. The girl had looked so perplexed, trying to think of other words for 'eat', and adding to that all the other strange habits she had, Ella had been very amused. But she quickly quieted herself and apologized, *Begging your pardon, milady, it shan't happen again.*

*Pardon for what?* Nicole asked dazedly, in a bit of a shock after finding out that Elves could _laugh_. *And please stop calling me 'milady' it makes me feel old.*

*But the Elves are old, milady,* Ella said automatically, then blushed. *I am sorry, but I do not know what else to call you.*

*Um, how about Nicole?* she suggested.

*Do you not have an Elven name?* Ella asked incredulously.

*Why do you people keep asking me that? It's just Nicole, not Lady, not Milady, not any other name,* she ranted at the poor Elf. She stopped abruptly when she noticed that the Elf was trying to hide another laugh. *This is just strange. I didn't know I was so amusing to you,* she said with a bit of a bite to her voice.

*I am sorry, mil-- Nicole,* Ella apologized quickly, *but it is very rare for me to find someone who is not...* she trailed off and vaguely waved a hand around the room, indicating Lothlorien. *Not so... stiff? Wise? Mature? I do not know how to say it...*

*No problem, I get it,* Nicole said with a sigh of relief. *They act so old... they don't laugh. Is that it?*

*Yes! That's it,* Ella said, laughing a little.

*Oh thank you thank you thank you!* Nicole exclaimed, giving Ella a quick hug. *Finally, a normal person! You laugh, you really laugh! Just stop saying things like 'milady', and I think we'll get along just fine!* _I can't believe this, an Elf that laughs! She must be pretty young then, if she hasn't gotten to that wise-high-and-mighty mindset yet. Excellent, now at least **one** person will understand me. _Nicole happily threw one arm around Ella's shoulders and steered her towards the door. *Now that that is settled, how about some food? I'm starving! Lead the way.* 

Ella laughed merrily, letting the girl keep her arm around her shoulders, glad to finally have somebody that wasn't so serious. The two Elves walked through the passages of Lorien, Nicole getting lost after the first three turns, chatting contentedly.

_If this is how it's going to be with some other Elves, then it isn't so bad, _Nicole thought. _Maybe I can handle being an Elf..._

**A/N: Yes, I know that this chapter is shorter than the past three or four have been. Sorry, but I wanted to update for you. And I'll try to get the next chapter up next weekend. Ok, now go review! please! ~m~**


	15. Lunch In LothLorien

**A/N: I am SO sorry, but this chapter took forever because half way through writing, I got completely lost and I had to take a few days to write out what I was going to do for the next few chapters. As it turns out, organizing stuff is actually beneficial. Thanks to all my reviewers, keep at it! Review! ~MoI~**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Lord of the Rings or any of the stories that were written by J.R.R. Tolkien. I'm not THAT good at writing, lol. Although I'm very happy to announce that I have FINALLY bought the extended FotR! Whoohoo!**

**Home Sweet Home**

**Chapter Fifteen ~ Lunch in Lothlorien**

Nicole stood in front of the doorway with Ella at her side. The girl glanced apprehensively at the Elf standing beside her.

*You know, I'm actually not that hungry anymore--* Nicole began.

*Don't even try it,* Ella whispered.

Nicole had been getting more and more nervous as they had come closer to the private dining chamber, and now that Nicole was standing here, she wasn't so sure that she felt ready enough to go talk to more Elves, even if they were pretty nice and royal. _It's all fine and dandy when you don't have a choice and don't have any time to consider it, but the day after you find out you're an Elf and faint... This is going to be **so ** embarrassing. _She started to fidget with her nails, but Ella grabbed her arms and glared at her.

*What? Aren't I allowed to freak out?* Nicole whispered fiercely.

*No, you can't 'freak out',* Ella shushed her, with an amused glint in her eyes. 

_It's the words... I have to start using normal words. No wonder nobody can understand me here. _While a part of her brain was idly commenting on what was going on, another part, the really nervous part of Nicole, was formulating a new plan. _Escape... very interesting... _ Nicole tried to look nonchalant enough so that Ella would loosen her hold. It worked and after waiting a few seconds, Nicole turned around, ready to sprint off down the corridor. If she had remembered that Ella was an Elf, she might have also remembered about those super-fast Elf reflexes. Ella grabbed her arms again and dragged her back to the doorway before Nicole could take two steps. Ella kept one hand firmly clamped on Nicole's wrist.

*I said don't try,* Ella reproached her.

Her shoulders slumped and Nicole glared at Ella. *So much for having someone on my side.*

Ella grinned at Nicole, the girl's antics never ceased to amuse her. She let go of Nicole's wrist as the doors opened and they entered the dining room.

Nicole's insides twisted around uncomfortably. The room itself was, of course, incredibly beautiful, like anything else in the Elven land. But the people inside the room were what bothered her more. She had expected just a formal lunch with Lady Galadriel and Lord Celeborn. What she was seeing was most certainly a formal lunch... except there were three other people there. Two males Elves sat beside Celeborn at the round, wooden table. Nicole recognized that one of them had to be from the same section or specialty of the Elven Army as Haldir and his brothers, since he was dressed in the same manner. An Elf woman sat beside Galadriel, and she looked up curiously when Nicole entered. The Elf who had opened the door quickly bowed and exited the room by way of a door on the other side of the room. She swallowed. _Even if Ella is on my side, we're still outnumbered. Ok Nicole, you can do this, just breathe. Breathe._

She was saved the trouble of having to say, "Hi, I'm Nicole, and I'm an Elf," because Galadriel swept a graceful hand towards an empty place at the set table and invited her to sit down. Nicole gratefully sank into the seat and tried to look invisible, which worked for -0 seconds. The Elves immediately turned their attention to her and she shifted nervously. Ella remained standing by Nicole's chair, and Nicole looked up at her.

*Help?* she hissed as quietly as she could, uncomfortable with all the staring. Ella simply smiled, then nodded at the seated Elves and left the room through the same door as the Elf who had opened the door for them. Nicole was not a happy camper. Her one ally had just left her, and now she was stuck with a whole bunch of important Elves and her fate to be decided. _ Oh joy._

*I took the liberty of having you placed in one of our guest rooms, I trust that does not bother you,* Lady Galadriel said and Nicole hastily nodded to agree. _How am I supposed to act around these people? _She wondered. _I'm not graceful enough. _She restrained herself from making a face at the thought of trying to use all those big words.

*Do you remember what you were told last night?* Lord Celeborn asked, leaning forward.

*Yes...* Nicole replied, uncertain why she was here about a meeting that, now that she thought of it, could very likely be more about Frodo, because from their serious tone, it would seem that they were talking about it before she entered.

*Do you understand what it means?* he questioned further.

*Yes,* Nicole repeated, now fairly certain that they were talking about Frodo's quest.

*Then I am sure that you can see the urgency of this matter. It does not often happen,* he continued.

Nicole nodded this time, for a change from saying 'yes' all the time. It just seemed a bit strange to her that they would make her come to their lunch-meeting thing. _Why is that Elf staring at me? _ Nicole thought, noticing that for the whole time, the Elf sitting beside Galadriel hadn't taken her eyes off of her. _It can't be the ears... or the clothes... sadly, they ALL dress like this. _

*It would appear that we have little to do in this matter,* said the Elf dressed like Haldir, his companion nodding agreement. *We must return, I am afraid. Trouble stirs once more. Lord Celeborn, Lady Galadriel.* The two Elves began to rise from their chairs and take their leave of them.

*Please, stay at least for the meal,* Galadriel asked.

*Nay, milady, we have already spent what time we could,* he declined politely.

Nicole watched the exchange with interest. _If this was supposed to be about Frodo... why would the military-ish guys leave? Isn't this their field of expertise? _Her confusion must have caught Celeborn's attention, because he quickly spoke up, mistaking what her thoughts were.

*This is Lathanir, one of the captains of the Galadhrim,* Celeborn introduced, indicating the Elf dressed like Haldir. The other one he introduced, *And this is my closest advisor, Tarcalen. This is Lady Nicole,* he concluded, introducing her to the two Elves.

*Nice to meet you,* she said, which was the most polite thing she could think of to say.

Galadriel turned Nicole's attention back to the Lady. *This is Ulanieta, the head of my staff. The Elf who brought you here, Eletarien, is one of my assistants.*

*Good morning,* she said... _I'm running out of nice phrases to use... all I have left is Good Night and Please... I need language lessons!!! _

*I'm sorry, Celeborn, but I really must return,* Lathanir apologized again, and after receiving a nod of agreement from Celeborn, left the room with Tarcalen in tow. Their departure did nothing to help Nicole out of her confusion.

*I suppose that if they aren't going to stay for lunch, we might as well begin,* Celeborn said and, as if they had somehow heard him, two Elves came from the back door, bringing trolleys of food with them. They began to set the table with all the dishes they carried. Most of the food was familiar to Nicole, but some was strange, or simply prepared in a different way than she was used to.

She regarded the choices in front of her with a skeptical glance. _They wouldn't poison me, right? That's ridiculous. So it should be safe to eat. _Nonetheless, she was hesitant about beginning her meal. The foreign foods were somewhat daunting. _I would have been happy with a bucket of KFC chicken, really. Do I have to eat that pink crispy thing? _One of the two Elves had placed another plate on top of the one sitting in front of her, just like everybody else at the table. It had a "pink crispy thing" on it. It might have been salmon, because the color was similar. But Nicole had never seen a salmon coated with a crispy shell, and she bit into it more slowly than the others.

"Oh my god, this is delicious!" she said quietly in Common, forgetting her setting for a moment. Her eating companions looked at her, interrupting the quiet conversation they were having. It had a conspiratorial feeling to it, but Nicole ignored it at the time.

*Oops... sorry, I forgot,* she said, her apology for not speaking Elvish. *It's very good.*

*I am pleased that you enjoy our food,* Ulanieta said to her with a smile. Again, the smile held traces of a conspiracy, but Nicole ignored it again and dug in to her food, finally filling her stomach. The Elves spoke quietly amongst themselves, so quietly that even Nicole's new Elf hearing couldn't pick it up except for a murmur and a word here of there. Besides, it wasn't as thought she was paying attention to them. For now she was happy just to eat.

Near the end of the meal, Nicole's hunger already satisfied, the Elves broke off their conversation and Galadriel spoke to her. 

*Now we must discuss what shall come to happen,* the Elf Lady said.

Nicole shifted nervously in her chair. It was more than a bit confusing why she was here at a meeting that should have been about Frodo, but the key people in the discussion had left and for some reason she was here instead. 

*Certainly you comprehend that taking no action will not promote progress,* Celeborn added. After taking a second to understand what exactly he had said, Nicole nodded.

*Because of this unique situation,* Galadriel continued, *you do not know of the ways of the Elves, and must be taught. In addition, it is our belief that you would have something to do rather than simply learn. Our society is not lax, but working for your part will not be too hard, and you will find it pleasant here. It is after all, your home.*

"Whoa, hold up!" Nicole exclaimed, the abrupt change of topic catching her off guard and making her switch unconsciously to Common again. She realized her mistake and continued in Elvish. *You mean that this meeting is about **me**?* she questioned with shock. _I didn't expect to do nothing, obviously, but somebody could have told me about this and I might have gotten a chance to think about what I want to do while I'm here._

*Of course, did you think otherwise?* Lord Celeborn asked smiling.

*Well... maybe...* she admitted.

*Then let us straighten this out,* he added. *You will stay here, Lady Nicole, and Lothlorien will be your home. We do not take strangers into our woods. It has never happened that one we do not know comes to make their home here. However, you are an Elf, and you do not know the ways of the world, so we would have you stay in this land. As I understand it, Galadriel has some plans for you, though she has yet to tell you of them.*

*Indeed, I have not yet spoken of them, but now I will,* Galadriel said in response to her husband's words. *It would please me to have you become one of my assistants, as Eletarien is, and stay in my house. Do not be troubled: it is not a life of serfdom. You will be a lady, also as Eletarien, thought it is my hope that you will not be quite so impulsive as she is. Ulanieta will guide you in your first days, teaching you the proper things for a lady to know. This is an opportunity for you, Nicole.* The Lady finished with a kind smile, as though she was doing Nicole some huge favor. 

*I am positive that you will pick it up quickly, my dear. We may begin after the meal is finished,* Ulanieta told her, also thinking she had done Nicole a favor.

Nicole, for her part, was having trouble controlling her jaw muscles. She needed to say something against becoming a proper lady, but she didn't think there was any way to say it without insulting them. _How could they know, really? Even though Galadriel is wise and sees lots of stuff, their culture thinks like this. They think I want to be a lady. They couldn't be more wrong. _It wasn't as though Nicole hadn't been the kind of girl that dreamt of being a princess and wearing poofy dresses, it's just that now when she saw how it could be, she would rather not take up the offer of having her childhood dreams come true. But Nicole was too stunned to say anything for the next few minutes, and by the time she managed to finally think of something to say ("Can I not have any opportunities?"), the dishes were cleared quickly away and Ulanieta had risen and was pulling gently on Nicole's arm, trying to get her to snap out of it.

Nicole followed the Elf numbly, barely registering what she was saying.

*It would be best for you to start with what we usually do now, since that will get you straight into the schedule. It's so much easier that way, you'll see, Migole,* Ulanieta chattered, mispronouncing Nicole's name.

*It's Nicole,* she corrected.

*Of course it is, my dear. We should see to that too. An Elven name would do you good, Lothlorien is a city of Elves, after all.* Ulanieta went on talking about different things, leading Nicole through passage after bridge after flet. Eventually they reached a room where around ten female Elves were working on some elaborate machine that wove a fine fabric. By that time, Nicole had barely gotten in a word edgewise and had discovered that Ulanieta was very direct, and got things done fast. She made introductions, but Nicole quickly forgot everyone's names, and then set the girl down at an unoccupied device, showing her which handles to twist and how to thread it so that the weave would strengthen the thin cloth. The way it worked was surprisingly easy to remember when compared to the names of the Elves.

Nicole spent the next two days following Ulanieta around, doing as she was told. It wasn't a lifestyle that suited her. And the Elves weren't making it easy for her either. It was bad enough that she had broken one of the glowing lights when trying to clean it, the delicate glass shattering as she slipped and hit the light fixture. But to add to that, the Elves didn't seem to accept her, for all her Elf qualities. This foreign Elf used strange words, phrases that none of Galadriel's ladies could comprehend, and had an odd accent. The only Elf that didn't seem to mind any of this was Ella, but Nicole didn't see her often because Ella was usually off working in the kitchens, or some other work, as punishment for acting too impulsively or accidentally breaking something, or some other incursion that had yet again annoyed Ulanieta. Nicole hadn't yet joined Ella because she was new and it wasn't expected that her first days be perfect, although with time there was no doubt that she would end up just like Ella.

Galadriel had been correct. The work wasn't hard, Nicole did learn the ways that a proper lady should behave, not that she actually put any of them into practice. Nicole remained in the same room she had woken up in earlier, although she noted with distaste that the clothing in her wardrobe was all dresses. She hadn't seen the Fellowship since the first night. The company of Gimli and Boromir, and the easy laughter of the hobbits was sorely missed. After so many days of walking, this stationary life was strange to Nicole, even though she had to admit that the pillows were a big bonus. If she were able to exercise more or practice fighting, then perhaps she wouldn't have been so annoyed. The truth was, this was not a life she wanted and from what she had seen, this was what Galadriel and Ulanieta had planned for the rest of her life. The time had come to set things straight, to get some real knowledge that would be useful to Nicole, not how to properly cross-stitch the material to give it a two-colored appearance.

Her chance came when on the morning of the third day, Ella came to see her again to tell her that she was to have breakfast with Galadriel and Celeborn. 

_Ok, I hadn't expected it to be quite this soon..._ Nicole thought, nervousness starting to creep into her stomach in the form of a sickly emptiness. _I think I'd do better if I had time to make a speech. Ahem, we are gathered here today..... no. I wish to speak with you on the matter of my employment.... no. This is useless. As usual, I get to wing it because I am always so prepared for everything. _Nicole finally solidified her so-called plan and consented to the dark green dress that Ella held out to her. But the second that Ella moved to do Nicole's hair, she brushed her hands away, just running a brush through it, letting the hair cover her ears. _If I have to ask them today, then I might as well do it on my own terms. Which are blatantly refusing to believe that I am an Elf. Naturally._

They exited the room and Nicole was happy to see that she was able to walk beside Ella, not following her two steps behind. She had become more familiar with the tree-top passages in the past days, but hadn't been down to the floor of the forest once. _Another little annoyance to add to the list. _They reached the familiar doors and halted. But this time, instead of waiting for them to open, after hesitating for a moment, Nicole opened them by herself, ignoring the look of utter shock on Ella's face. Nicole walked into the room, politely greeting the rulers of the Elven land but walking straight with her head held high. _If I make a strong impression, maybe they'll ignore the fact that my argument is completely weak. _ Seated around the table again were Celeborn's two advisors, but Ulanieta was busy checking on the other guests. Namely the Fellowship.

*Good morning, Lady Nicole,* Celeborn said graciously. He was the only one that Nicole allowed to call her 'Lady' because she was scared of him and didn't really want to make him angry by saying she wasn't a Lady. _Oops... so much for that plan, I'm about to tell them that I don't want to be a Lady anymore. _

*How do you find your new home?* Galadriel queried.

*Actually, that's what I came to discuss,* began Nicole, with some apprehension.

*What do you mean?*

*Well, it's not as though I do not appreciate your efforts. It's very kind of you to offer me a place in your home. But I feel that it is not a good place for me.* She paused for a second, collecting her thoughts. _Ok, Nicole, this is it. Use big words, sound eloquent... sound smart! Just focus on what you're saying. Focus. _For some reason, this made her thinking of sitting in the lotus position while saying 'ommm', and nearly made her go into fits of giggles, but after struggling for a second she regained her composure. *In the society of the Elves, and of the other cultures in these different lands, women are expected to stay at home. Women are to be ladies, never stepping out of line, never knowing a thing beyond politeness, stitching and managing a household. It is an honorable occupation, but it is not one that I am familiar with. In my land, women are free to do as they wish.* She cringed. Nicole wasn't sure how many people in the room knew about her origins, but it was too late now, so she forged ahead. *I am more comfortable in a life where there is more activity. I would like to learn weaponry, archery, combat skills, because I believe they will be of more use to me in the future. And, of course, some basic skills of healing, as that is often needed after combat. House work will not serve me, it will be of no use in the future. I wish to be trained.*

Silence fell. None of the Elves stirred. Somebody opened the back door to start bringing in the breakfast, but quickly backed out upon seeing the situation. Nicole was getting nervous, but refused to fidget. _Maybe I shouldn't have said anything. Maybe I should've just ran off or something. I think my spontaneous idiotic plans are better than the ones that seem mature. Maybe they've all suddenly turned into mutes, or mimes. _This comment made Nicole picture them all wearing berets, placing their hands on the empty air in front of them and discovering an invisible box. The sight of the gracious and mighty Elves dressed as mimes nearly made her start laughing again, although this time she didn't have to struggle not to giggle, because they finally spoke up. It was not who she had expected.

*Can you fight?* asked Lathanir, with no sarcasm, just pure curiosity.

*Not much, but I can try,* Nicole admitted.

Celeborn interrupted this exchange angrily. *It matters not whether she can fight, she will NOT be TRAINED.* The emphasis on the words was startling and Nicole jumped a little at the harshness.

She didn't let it put her off though, and she replied quickly, *I believe that as it concerns my life, I may make the choice for myself.* The girl really had to force her voice to keep calm. Celeborn's outburst had kick-started all of Nicole's annoyance over the past few days and it was a struggle to control her anger.

*You are merely a child, an infant in our eyes. You cannot fight. It is madness!* the Elf lord replied.

*By my standards I am nearly a woman. I can fight, it is simply a question of training!*

*I would not have you be hurt by fighting so early in your life!* Celeborn's comment was still harsh, but it finally showed Nicole that he was doing it out of concern. It was puzzling to Nicole that he would be concerned over her safety.

*Then it would aid me to know defense and avoid any harm!* A pause came after Nicole's latest statement. It was true, and the Elf now found it difficult to present another contradicting point.

*And when would harm come to you,* Galadriel's soft voice said, *while you are here in Lothlorien? I assure you that the borders are well protected. There is more than just the weapons of Elves guarding these woods. You will stay here, you will be safe.*

*I'm not staying here,* Nicole blurted out abruptly. The idea of staying in Lothlorien was absurd, even though it would be really nice and comfortable.

Galadriel raised an eyebrow at this response. *You are not?*

*I'm going with the Fellowship.* she stated matter-of-factly. It had been obvious to her all along.

*But my child, it does not concern you,* the Lady explained gently.

*Only a few days ago you told me that Middle Earth is my new home. Their quest is going to determine the fate of Middle Earth. I would not have my new home be destroyed so easily. These are the people that I have been with since my arrival, I do not intend to leave them now. I was sent to this place, in this time. What other purpose would I have? What other choice would I make? I go with the Fellowship.*

The unusual eloquence of Nicole's speech made the Elves seriously reconsider. It seemed now to them that Nicole was indeed, as she claimed, nearly a woman. It also seemed to them that she was very stubborn, and would not be easy to dissuade.

*I must take counsel for a moment,* Celeborn said, motioning to Lathanir and Tarcalen and exiting the room by yet another doorway, hidden to the left of the main entrance. They left silently, leaving Nicole to wait.

Nicole still stood facing the table, with Eletarien cowering a step or two behind her. Even though the young Elf may be impulsive, she would never dream of raising her voice against an elder Elf, Ulanieta would have her head for it. Galadriel sat at the head of the table, quietly regarding them. _ So Celeborn is definitely against me. Galadriel, I'm not so sure about. She doesn't seem very surprised though. It must be her psychic thing, probably warned her that I'd come in here, utterly humiliate myself, and then continue learning from Ulanieta. Damn foresight._

*It would not be too lady-like for you to sit, would it?* Galadriel asked, a glimmer of something that may have been amusement in her eyes.

*No,* Nicole muttered and blushed. Instead of walking around to the place where she had sat a few days ago, Nicole took the chair nearest to where she had been standing and perched uneasily on it's edge. Ella followed her and timidly placed a hand on the girl's shoulder, trying to comfort her. She was positive that Nicole would not get out of this un-scathed, if she knew anything about the punishments in this house.

~*MEANWHILE*~

In the small chamber connected to the dining hall, Celeborn paced uneasily while Tarcalen and Lathanir watched him.

*Is she mad? Has she lost her senses? She is only a child. She cannot fight. She will get harmed!* he ranted as he crossed the room again and again.

*Milord, if I may speak?* Tarcalen ventured, continuing after Celeborn nodded tersely. *She does not know much of the life of a warrior. I do not think she would be able to bear it.*

*The girl is very determined, I can see it. She would do well in her training,* Lathanir objected.

*That's not my point,* Tarcalen replied. *If you would show her a bit more rigorous training, perhaps she would be dissuaded.*

Celeborn stopped walking and turned slowly to Tarcalen, trying to understand what his advisor was suggesting. *Do you mean to push her hard? Too hard? So hard that... that she won't want it any more... she'll want to stay as a lady.* Realization dawned, and the brilliance of the plan was made known to the Elf lord.

*I do not believe it would fool her if we gave in to her request so readily,* Lathanir added. *She will know that something is wrong immediately. It is too suspicious.*

*Have you any other plans?*

*We could simply allow her to train,* Lathanir said. The silence of his companions made it clear that no one thought that the girl could be trained except for himself. *Or not. But we must make it seem a challenge for her. We must test her first.*

*What do you mean?* Celeborn inquired.

*Only two of us return to the dining hall. The other leaves, and enters again silently by the entrance that she used. Using stealth, he will attack, and we will judge how she fights. We will say that we base our decision upon her performance. In this manner, it shall not be so obvious.*

*You are right, Lathanir. Perhaps there is still a way to prevent her training,* Celeborn concurred. More quietly, he added, *I do not want to see her harmed. The girl reminds me of my granddaughter at times. Though I do not know her well.*

His advisors understood, however both feared that if by some chance the girl left with the Fellowship, there was no way for her to avoid harm. Not with the darkness that was creeping over the world.

~*BACK IN THE DINING HALL*~

The door opened silently and the soft sounds of rustling fabric told Nicole that they had returned. She sprang back to her feet and faced the front again as Celeborn and Tarcalen took their seats. The absence of Lathanir immediately worried her. _Great, my one ally, now gone with the wind. Is there any hope left that I will win this argument? _ Nicole's heart sank. It appeared that she would have to endure Ulanieta after all.

*I must admit that I am not happy to find out that a young one, such as yourself, would want to learn to be a warrior,* Celeborn said. *To lose a life is grievous. To lose an immortal life is even worse. But to lose an immortal life when it is only just beginning? I must ask you to remember, Lady Nicole, that you are only a child, and that you are an Elf. Surely there are better ways to spend your time than with fighting? Is there nothing else you would choose to do?*

*My mind is made, Lord Celeborn,* Nicole replied solemnly. _New rule Nicole: be perseverant, it looks like it's working! _

*There is no way to dissuade you?* he asked once more. Nicole shook her head. *If that is what you wish...*

Nicole was about to start jumping up and down, because it seemed that Celeborn was about to say 'go and train'. But before she could do any thing that was so ridiculous, she felt an arm grab her around the waist, and another at her neck, trying to strangle her. Her breath caught in her throat and her body refused to react for a second as it was still in a state of shock. Recovering as quickly as possible, Nicole bent her arm and shoved her elbow as hard as she could into her attacker's gut. Bringing her arm back up, she brought it forcefully backwards, her balled fist connecting with the person's face. Stomping on their foot finally loosened the hold on her, and she managed to reach a dagger she saw hanging from a sheath at the attacker's hip. Whirling around to face whoever it was, Nicole pointed the dagger at Lathanir's throat. Her shock registered clearly on her face. _But he's on my side... why would he attack me? _The confusion had an undertone of hurt betrayal. Her fingers slackened in her moment of surprise and the Elf was easily able to twist the knife from her grip and once again capture her, although this time the object at her throat was not an arm, it was a nice, pointy dagger.

Gasping for air, Nicole managed to ask, *Lathanir? I don't understand...*

To her surprise, the Elf laughed and released his hold. *You did well, Lady Nicole. You will be trained.*

She gaped at him and rubbed her neck. Her mind was still digesting the fact that it had been a setup, and she only noticed what he had said a second or two later. *Trained? YES!* Her anger at the Captain of the Galadhrim momentarily forgotten, she threw her arms around him and started jumping. *Trained! Trained! Trained!* _So much for being mature, and almost a woman. I'm acting like a kid. So what? I'M GONNA BE TRAINED!!!!! _ Nicole finally released her grip on the startled Elf and instead shoved him towards the doors. *Lead the way!* When he didn't comply, she grabbed his arm and started to drag him off into the leafy hallways. *C'mon buddy, put some spirit into it! You've got a lot to do! I want to learn how to fight with a sword, a dagger, oh, and I should learn to use the bow, 'cause that's what Elves do, and I'm an Elf. And I should learn how to use herbs and stuff to clean wounds and sicknesses, because a lot of people need some healing skills after a battle, right? I hope you can handle this job. It's a lot to teach, and not a long time either. We should get started...* her rambling could be heard as she receded from view.

The room that the girl had just left was silent. Galadriel looked very amused by Nicole's antics, and somewhat happy that the hyperactive girl would be doing something more useful with her energy. Celeborn was torn between worrying over the young girl's safety and laughing. Tarcalen was very pleased because he was completely confident that his plan would work. Ella couldn't believe what had just happened. That new girl must be either very talented or very stupid, because never had Eletarien been able to get herself out of a situation like that. The server opened the back door again, but seeing that the atmosphere was silent, left hurriedly again. One thing was for sure, something strange had happened in Lothlorien this morning.

A minute later, the birds settled around the house of the Lord and Lady took flight and nearby Elves jumped as a sound assaulted their ears. A girl's voice, incredibly loud for someone so young, rang out loudly, which was saying something because Elves have very sensitive ears. It echoed a few times as the Elves went back to whatever they were doing before the girl had disrupted their quiet lives.

*THANK YOU!!!*

**A/N: I am so happy that I finally finished this chapter. It took forever and a half to write it. Review it, please! I tried to make it longer, because originally it was a lot shorter than this. I don't know how long it will take to write the next chapter, but hopefully not too long. Happy Hallowe'en! ~MoI~**


	16. Training Day

**A/N: I don't think you'll have to worry about her training... that's going to be amusing, I've been itching to write this chapter since I got the idea for it. I won't say much, but I can't really have the Fellowship help her train because they'll see that she is an Elf. But you won't be disappointed. If I don't get to it in this chapter, you'll see it in the next one. I love secrecy! lol. ~MoI~**

**Disclaimer: The Lord of the Rings is not mine, nor is anything else, other than Nicole. If you didn't know that... well. You should.**

**Home Sweet Home**

**Chapter Sixteen ~ Training Day**

_Breathe in. _The bow lifted to point at the target. _Breathe out. _An arrow notched and the string was pulled tight. _Breathe in. _Aim. _Breathe out. _Re-adjust aim, and.... fire.

The arrow whistled through the air, hitting the target but a little to the left of the centre. Nicole lowered her aching arms, noticing with annoyance that her fingers were trembling slightly.

*Again,* Lathanir commanded.

Nicole sighed and picked another arrow off the table set up to the right of her position. She had been practicing archery for the better part of five hours now, with only a small break for some food (_lembas: delicious, energetic, but not in any form a substitute for Chicken Teriyaki_). Lathanir had launched her immediately into her training, after quickly explaining a few ground rules. No attacking other Elves, show respect, listen to your instructors, don't expect special treatment. Simple enough, but Nicole wasn't one for rules. The first time she picked up a bow, she had been surprised by how light it was and picked it up with too much force, hitting Lathanir in the head. Nicole still began conversations with all the other Elves around her by saying, "Hey, I'm Nicole. What's up? Who are you?" It was a habit she couldn't get rid of. Plus, her name was always a point of conflict among the Elves who tried to pronounce it or translate it into Elvish. She had finally succumbed to simply being called 'girl', 'young one', or 'hey you' (the last being her own suggestion). Thankfully, at least Lathanir said it correctly, even though he encouraged her to find an Elven name. Nicole, for her part, had no desire whatsoever to change her name. She wasn't getting any special treatment, that much was for sure, but she knew that there was no other way for her to learn, so she accepted the conditions. She listened to Lathanir, and had been shooting arrows, with advice from him on occasion. This latest arrow she shot with only half-hearted aim. She was tired, and wearing a dress (very inconvenient) because (a) she hadn't thought of going to her room and changing, and (b) she didn't have any pants in her wardrobe, except her jeans, which had mysteriously disappeared after the first day. The arrow struck the outer edge of the target and made her instructor sigh in frustration.

*No, you keep doing it wrong,* the older Elf scolded her. *Are you doing the steps like I told you to?*

*Yes, I am,* Nicole replied. _I wonder how long it will take the Elf, part of the race of geniuses, to figure out what's wrong._

*You nearly had a perfect shot a while ago,* he said, thinking hard on the problem.

*Or as good as I'm going to get,* Nicole replied, looking in disdain at her clothing.

Lathanir still didn't get it and continued the lesson, stepping up behind Nicole. *I do not understand how you miss it,* he murmured, observing her closely. *Try again,* he commanded, and gave her an arrow.

Nicole sighed. _This is obviously useless. I don't think these people have ever trained a girl before. Do they actually expect me to be able to move when I'm bogged down by this skirt? _She shifted her position, turned slightly sideways, and notched the new arrow. Pulling her right arm backwards, she stretched the bowstring, aimed, and fired the shot, just as Lathanir had taught her to. But once again, it was off to the left side. Beside her, Lathanir let out a triumphant cry.

*THAT is your problem, THAT is why you always fire to the left!* he cried out happily, but at the same time angry at Nicole for doing it. He didn't bother to explain so she faced him with a blank stare.

*And THAT would be what, exactly?* she asked.

*You squint,* he explained matter-of-factly. *Do not squint. It hinders your aim.*

Nicole stared at him in indignation. *I don't squint!*

*Yes, you do.*

*Do not!*

*Listen to me, Lady Nicole, I will not get into this argument again,* Lathanir said impatiently. Earlier in the day, Lathanir had warned Nicole that she probably did not have the stamina required to train, and she had replied in the same manner. They protested against each other for about ten minutes before the older Elf commanded her to shut up, which lasted for all of five minutes. *You squint, end of story. When you aim, you close your right eye, making the centre seem to the left, and then every time, your aim is off. Do not squint. Try it again.*

Nicole glared at him. _I do NOT squint. What's he on about? He just wants to kick me out of here. Yeah buddy, well, good luck. I'm going to stay, I'm going to train, and you're whole tough teacher routine isn't going to break me! _Nicole took another arrow, notched it, aimed and... _dammit, the Elves are right again. _She noticed that she did, in fact, squint her right eye when she aimed. She paused for a second, kept both eyes open, and aimed again. This time when she fired, the shot was nearly true. The arrow was a bit below the centre.

*I swear, I didn't squint this time!* she exclaimed, but both her hands up, including the bow. Lathanir looked ready to accuse her again, but she continued before he could say anything. *It's harder to aim when I don't squint because everything gets wonky and whoa, and then it's like there's two of them!* Her explanation may have made sense to her, but Lathanir was lost.

Eventually, the captain just sighed, and gave in. *Fine, squint, if you must do so, you stubborn child,* he said. *Just remember to move your aim to the right of the centre.*

Nicole took yet another arrow from the table and tried it again, squinting but moving her aim to the right. The arrow finally hit the centre, and Nicole felt proud but annoyed at the same time. The Elf was right again. In retaliation, and because she always had to have the last word, Nicole muttered back, *Woman, thank you very much.*

The Elves watching this newcomer being trained smirked along with Lathanir. To them, she was no more than a newborn.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Nicole threw herself onto her bed, glad to finally have a break. Outside, she could see that it was way past nightfall, and most of the Elves were already resting for the night. Lathanir had forced her to keep going even when most of the other Elves had gone to do other things, like rest and eat food. He insisted that if she wanted to be trained, and trained well, by the time the Fellowship left, she was going to have to push a lot harder than anybody else. Needless to say, this did not sit well with Nicole. Her body ached all over and she was beginning to think that when she became an Elf she didn't inherit their resistance to pain. Before her instructor had finally allowed her to leave, he told her that since he still had to spend some time performing his duties, other Elves would be training her as well. So tomorrow, at first light, Haldir was going to be waiting for her at the training grounds.

"Evil Elves... train train train... stupid me... should've just stayed happy...* before she could complain anymore, or even notice that she had switched to Elvish mid-sentence, she was asleep on top of her covers.

When the girl woke the next morning, the aching muscles of yesterday had gone away to be replaced by an immense hunger. _Oh yeah, I didn't eat last night... gee, I wonder why. _Nicole was still unhappy with Lathanir for not even allowing her a dinner break. She looked around the room, and in the light of early morning, spotted a tray of food sitting on the little table by the chairs. She lunged at it, thankful that someone (probably Ella) had brought her food, even though it was cold now, and obviously meant to have been yesterday's dinner. She munched happily, and looked out the window at the sunlight filtering through the leafy canopy. The sunlight... _something about light... _her eyes widened as she remembered, _I was supposed to be at the training grounds at first light! I'm late! _Hastily shoving another piece of bread into her mouth, she clambered over the bed to get to the wardrobe. Furiously shoving aside dress after dress, Nicole made a note to ask Ella about getting normal shirts and pants. In the end, she just grabbed the least-fancy dress she could find (a dark green dress made of a stiff shiny fabric) and choose to wear it.

Sprinting through the high halls of Lothlorien, she wondered how on earth she would get there without appearing to be _too _ late. Nicole started on the downward stairs, but soon grew frustrated with how long it was taking her. Once she reached one of the lowest platforms, she glanced over the edge to see how far down it was. By now, first light was far gone, and the sun was getting higher in the sky. _Alright, that doesn't look too bad, _Nicole thought, judging the distance to be four or five stories. _Ok, let's do this. _She hoisted herself onto the banister, checked to see that no Elves would come to reproach her for acting so foolishly, and stood on the edge. _Umm... on second thought... it is kind of high. _Second thoughts kicked in, and Nicole's rational mind (it's really small and hardly ever says anything, but trust me, it's there) was arguing that it was a ridiculous idea. Before she could let herself think about it too much, she stepped forward, off the edge and into the air. 

For the split second that she was falling through the air, Nicole was sure she would have a heart attack. The air tore through her hair, whipping fabric into a frenzy, and twisting the dress around her legs so that she couldn't move. It stole the breath from her lungs, and did not even let her scream. She fell earth-ward, and landed in a heap of hair, limbs, and dress at the bottom of the huge mallorn. Hesitantly, Nicole took a breath into her lungs. The girl flopped backwards and stared up into the tree tops from which she had dropped. Several Elves gave her strange looks and some looked as though they considered calling for help. A drop like that couldn't have been very comfortable. _That was terrifying... _Nicole was still breathing fast. A smile tugged at her lips. She bit her lip, but resistance worked for only a second. The girl burst out laughing, looking absolutely ridiculous, with messy hair, lying in a tangled heap amongst the tree roots. _ That was so much fun!!!!! Somebody should've made Elves with wings instead... that would be amazing. But then Elves would look like angels... _her train of thought brought back a distant memory of a very confused and snowy hobbit calling her an angel, and brought further laughter from the young Elf. 

A shadow fell across her vision, and she looked up and to the side to see an upside-down familiar face staring at her. Nicole managed to stop laughing, but the trace of a smile was still on her face.

*Hiya Haldir!* she said cheerfully, and accepting a hand up. She pulled herself upright, straightened out the skirts of the dress, and ran a hand through her hair, letting it fall around her shoulders freely.

The older Elf raised an eyebrow and regarded the girl. His expression clearly implied that he questioned her sanity. *You are late.*

Nicole grinned at the words. Without knowing it, Haldir had just quoted a phrase used in the future between a rather rumpled ranger and his Elven friend. She happily pulled Haldir's arm and dragged him in the direction where she thought the training grounds were. *I'm fine, thanks for asking. C'mon let's go!*

Her task proved difficult and Haldir refused to budge. *And where exactly are you going?*

*Duh, training, do try to keep up, Haldir,* she replied.

The Captain of the Galadhrim resisted the urge to laugh at this bizarre child. *The training grounds are **that** way,* he replied, and pointed to the opposite direction. The girl accepted this information and dragged him off in the new heading.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

*Is this absolutely necessary?* Nicole questioned quietly, tottering slightly.

*Oh yes,* Haldir assured her. *Balance is the key to an Elf's fighting abilities.* He was smiling broadly, and glaring at two Elves nearby who were almost, but not quite, succeeding at keeping their laughter silent. The Elf was having a lot of fun at the expense of the young girl, and was fairly confident that training her wasn't quite the chore that Lathanir had made it out to be.

Nicole was having trouble with her current task, and the suppressed chuckling was not helping her concentration in any way. The day had started out well enough. After Haldir had scolded her about being late and warned her to be on time tomorrow, he began to explain the methods of using the two long knives that were another popular weapon amongst Elves. But instead of showing her how to use them afterwards, he gave her a different assignment. Standing. 

Now, standing on it's own isn't a hard duty. It's quite easy, even when you are Nicole, an impatient girl that doesn't like doing something if she doesn't know why she has to do it. But Haldir added a twist. Or several twists, in reality. Nicole had to stand on a balance beam. A balance beam located five feet above the ground, and being made of a piece of wood that was only the width of two fingers. Again, not very hard, but that's not all. She was also blindfolded, and had a knife delicately balanced on two fingers of each hand, with her arms stretched out to the sides. That type of standing is difficult.

Let's not forget that she wore a dress, a fact that still ticked her off, and none of the other Elves seemed to think it would hinder her fighting in any way. *Balance is also something that I do NOT excel at,* she pointed out to Haldir, wobbling on her perch. _This is ridiculous, I feel like a bird or something. Or like I'm doing that weird thing that the Karate Kid did when he broke his leg. But hey, if the Elves are amused, at least I'm good for something, _she thought sarcastically. The dress was becoming a serious problem for her. If a breeze stirred the fabric, the balance would shift and Nicole had to fight to keep her feet on the beam.

The fragile wood creaked as somebody else mounted the beam.

*Haldir?* Nicole asked worriedly. She was going to fall off for sure now. *This isn't part of the plan, amigo!*

His answer was a lot closer than she thought. He had climbed up onto the beam as well and stood by her right side. *Your posture is horrible,* he explained, and began to rearrange her limbs accordingly. Allowing her elbows to bend a bit more, and moving her feet so that they were at an outward angle and she supported most of her weight on the balls of her feet. The Elf also forced her to straighten her back, an action that was a literal "straw that broke the camel's back". His light push between her shoulder blades caused her already fragile balance to be tipped. She toppled off the beam with a yelp and landed hard on her hands, the knives stabbing into the ground dangerously close to her fingers, although she was still blindfolded and hadn't noticed. Not for long... she jerked off the blindfold in anger and glared at the Elves that looked on.

*Take a picture, it lasts longer!* she snapped at them, not caring that they didn't have cameras so they couldn't take a picture. _Stupid dress, stupid Haldir, stupid beam, stupid knives... hmm. That's an idea. _ In the middle of her rant an idea popped into her head and she quickly pulled one of the knives out from the springy earth. Nicole eagerly brought it to the hem of her dress but as she flipped the knife into a better position a sharp pain went through her wrist. She dropped the knife and cradled her wrist, turning to glare at Haldir. *Thanks, buddy. So much for balancing the Force,* she told him.

The Elf dropped lightly from the height and took her arm to try to see what had bothered the girl. She angrily jerked away.

*I'm not a complete idiot,* she informed him, and then her voice took on a hint of pride. *I know First Aid... it's a sprain, see the swelling? All I need to do is stabilize it,* Nicole told him, again forgetting that First Aid was not common amongst the people of Middle Earth. The Elves, however, were getting used to the occasional not understandable comment from the girl. Picking the knife up again, this time in her uninjured left hand, she awkwardly cut away a long strip of cloth from the dress. Haldir raised his eyebrows. Most She-Elves probably didn't go around ripping up their skirts, Nicole guessed, but she didn't mind. _In fact, I wouldn't mind getting some normal clothes. _She held one end of the fine fabric in her teeth while wrapping the other around her wrist several times, making the bandage tight but not so tight that her circulation was cut off. When she finished she inspected her work with satisfaction and gingerly picked up the knives. It still hurt, but it was a lot better now, and considering her Elf healing skills, it would be completely healed by tomorrow.

*Where did you learn that?* Haldir asked. *I was under the impression that you had not sustained many previous injuries.*

*I haven't had anything serious,* she admitted. *But it's just common knowledge to me. Like if you have a fever, use cold compresses to bring it down. Or how to treat somebody who isn't breathing and doesn't have a heartbeat.*

Haldir smirked, believing that the young girl was wrong once again. *If the person has neither heartbeat nor breath, then they are dead.*

Nicole shook her head. _I thought that Elves were healers... they don't even know these basics? _*It depends on how long it's been since they've stopped breathing,* she explained. *If it's within a few minutes, you can still save their life. Even if the heart stops beating.* Haldir and the surrounding Elves looked curious and allowed her to continue. _At least I'm not getting trained without contributing, _ she thought as she began to explain the procedures for restoring breathing and heartbeats. _This just proves that even Elves don't know everything... and I'm smart after all! WHOO HOO!_

For the next several days, Nicole taught the Elves what she could remember from her First Aid knowledge and was continually trained in fighting and the finer healing arts. The hours remained horrible, Nicole remained in a dress, and she remained late as well. But she was decidedly progressing and came to every lesson without fail, her various teachers finding her an apt student. Lathanir, Tarcalen, and Celeborn were concerned: their plan had been ruined because the girl was not at all discouraged by the harder than usual training program, and kept going to train every day. And even more incredible was that she was becoming skilled at it. 

She was on her way to another day of tough training, late again, but this time eager to reach the grounds earlier than she usually did. Lathanir had mentioned something about a surprise the last time she had been learning with him. Nicole had been waiting for three days to see what it was, and Haldir had said that he wasn't going to teach her today, so she concluded that Lathanir was to teach her, and hopefully tell her what the surprise was.

_If it isn't a set of normal clothes, I am going to attack him. Stupid Elves have been making me train in a dress for... _ she paused her train of thought for a second, realizing that she had already been in Lothlorien nearly three weeks. _Two and a half weeks of training in a dress? That's unacceptable! I hope they aren't really horrible pants... something in a sturdy denim would be good, but all they have here is silk and satin, from what I've seen in my wardrobe. And a normal shirt wouldn't be so bad. I think I look pretty good in dark green, or maybe a beige/yellow with gold accents. _The girl continued lining up her next wardrobe, mentally modeling everything and deciding which would be the best, most comfortable, and least-constricting for when she was fighting. Combining her present state of mind with her usual inattentiveness, this caused her to keep running without paying much notice to what was happening around her. Nicole was nearing the grounds, when she rounded one of the last trees in her way, dashing madly with excitement, and... ran into a person she had least expected to meet on this morning...

**A/N: What a cliffie.... I tried my best.... I haven't left you guys a cliffie in a while, so I hope all the people out in Reviewer-land are happy! Who could it be? Germaine, the forgotten Magetrix worker.... Gandalf, alive and kicking?.... Ella, revealing herself to be a mighty She-Elf about to over-run Lothlorien? You'll never know! MUWAHAHAHA!!!!!!**

***clears throat* I'm ok now... please review! ~MoI~**

**P.S.~ How's this chapter length? Too short? Too long? Tell me!**


	17. Stupid Elves

**A/N: Thanks for the reviews! Before I start the thrilling conclusion to my cliffie (haha, yeah right), I want to answer some questions that _saiyan-girl-cheetah _asked me.   
First: Nicole doesn't miss her family that much, since she never really fitted in well, and they aren't looking for her anymore because she's one of those missing kids that never show up. An unsolved disappearance. Her family deals with it eventually. Plus, Nicole has a new family: the Fellowship is practically like a group of brothers that she hangs around with, because they are the people that she spent the most time with and is very close to.   
Second: Borry and Pippin never visit because: (a) Boromir isn't comfortable in Lothlorien and doesn't want to wander around trying to find Nicole because he could get lost; and (b) because Pippin is caught up in all the excitement of being with Elves, although he misses Nicole terribly. I know that it doesn't look like it right now, but hopefully Chapter Eighteen will deal with all of these issues.  
Ok, I think that's it. And specially thanks to Mellon1: you review all the time and I love you for it! Thanks! ~MoI~**

**Disclaimer: Roses are read, Violets are blew, I don't own LotR, and I kan't spel two. :)**

**Home Sweet Home**

**Chapter Seventeen ~ Stupid Elves**

_ Combining her present state of mind with her usual inattentiveness, this caused her to keep running without paying much notice to what was happening around her. Nicole was nearing the grounds, when she rounded one of the last trees in her way, dashing madly with excitement, and... ran into a person she had least expected to meet on this morning..._

She bounced off the solid wall of a person's chest and fell to the forest floor. Not yet noticing who the person was, Nicole brushed the hair out of her face and tried to disentangle herself from her dress and rise to her feet. The person was silent and a hand offering to help her up came into her view. The girl took it without question, since she was in Lothlorien, so it was likely just one of the Elves she trained with.

*Thanks,* she muttered, out of breath from her running and still anxious to see what the surprise was. She silently cursed the Elf for making her fall and making her later than she was, but what could she do about it? _Stupid Elves... never watch where they are going. They just go charging around the corner with no consideration of the consequences it has on others. _It occurred to her that this was a pretty accurate description of herself, so she finally ceased straightening the hindering skirts to look at who she had walked (or rather, run) into this time. 

The fierce blue eyes that stared at her now were the same ones that had scared her to death so long ago in the foothills of Caradhras.

*You are an Elf,* were the stony words that came out of the mouth of Legolas, Prince of Mirkwood.

Nicole could've sworn that she would have fainted right then and there because of the sudden appearance of her enemy, but shock kept her conscious. _I take my last comment back. Stupid me, for running into him. RUN Nicole, run and don't look back! _Despite the somewhat better relations that they had begun to develop in Moria, Nicole was still far from considering Legolas a friend. Therefore, her body responded to the frantic pleas of her fanatic mind, and she dodged him quickly and sprinted for the training grounds.

Her running abilities had improved, and she was far more aware of her surroundings now, but that didn't mean she was faster than the Elf Prince. He chased her nimbly and caught her arm just as she reached the little pavilion where the other Elves usually changed their clothing for practice clothes (Think of it as a change-room where you can keep your exercise clothes. Of course, Nicole never got to wear normal clothes, because it never occurred to anybody that fighting in a dress might be uncomfortable.). The girl noticed painfully that the Elf's grip was very strong, and now she was in a position where she had no way to avoid his questioning gaze. _What? _Nicole thought defensively. _It's not like I ran into you and then ran from you because I was terrified. I was just... late._

But thankfully, before Legolas could ask her anything or Nicole could think of a way out of the situation, Lathanir came up to them from further inside the training grounds, smiling happily.

*Ah, I see you've already met! Excellent!* he said. This sort of smug, proud, and confident tone was not normal for Lathanir and Nicole suspected another plot against her was in the making.

*Met?* she said weakly. _DOESN'T HE KNOW HOW I GOT HERE???? ARGH, that stupid Elf, he set this up! What's he planning?_

Legolas quickly dropped her arm and stared at Lathanir. *You don't mean--?*

Lathanir nodded emphatically and interrupted Legolas. *Yes, this is the girl. She hasn't been training for very long, but we feel she needs some hand-to-hand practice.*

*Hand-to-hand?* she questioned with wide eyes. _ They don't mean that I have to fight with LEGOLAS, do they? That's impossible, he'll slaughter me!_

The Elves ignored her and Legolas replied. *We have met, although I think some things have changed since then. This is the girl that traveled with my companions. As I remember it, she was a human.*

*She was? Oh yes, I'd forgotten about that,* Lathanir realized. *Well, we had quite a fiasco with her when she came. Insisted on learning to fight as opposed to being a proper lady. It's truly amazing she hasn't failed at anything yet.*

*I'm not completely weak,* she protested, being ignored again.

*She was taught some basics of the sword and axe, and had some experience in battle,* the Elf Prince informed the Galadhrim.

*I didn't have much of a choice in that,* she muttered testily, ignored for the fourth time.

*Her skills have much improved. Good archer, good with swords, with the two long knives, although we never thought to teach her how to wield an axe. That's really more of a Dwarvish weapon,* Lathanir continued the conversation.

*Gimli taught me,* she said, without any hope of being heard.

*It is. And you taught her all this within the time since we arrived? Hasn't she sustained any injuries?* Legolas asked incredulously.

*Like I said, I'm not weak,* Nicole mumbled.

*Hardly any,* Lathanir told him. *In fact, a couple of weeks ago she jumped off the stairs from a sizable height and simply walked away. And then later, she was trying--*

*NICOLE!* she yelled out, silencing the two ignorant Elves. 

They stared at her in silent surprise.

*I have a name, I would appreciate it if you would use it,* Nicole ground out through her clenched jaw. Her outburst was met with more blank stares. She sighed in frustration and continued. *Let's just get to practice. What's this I hear about hand-to-hand, Lathanir?* She pinned him with a glare for not telling her who she was going to practice with.

*You should have some combat practice to solidify everything we've taught you,* he explained and offered no more.

*And why am I training with him?* Nicole questioned further, indicating Legolas.

*As I am sure you have noticed, this place is full of Elves and I would much rather spend my time with people of my own race. But I also wanted to practice, and I came here. Lathanir offered me a prospective challenge and I took it without knowing who I would face,* Legolas told her.

*I have no idea what 'prospective challenge' means, but I'm guessing it refers to fighting me,* Nicole commented. She considered her options for a moment as the trio began walking to the section appointed to sparring (practice fighting). _I could still run, but then they would just catch me again. I could suddenly and inexplicably fall and break my leg. I could... fly off in a spaceship? Or I could just ask really really nicely and maybe Lathanir will let me off. On the other hand, if I stay I run a high risk of getting murdered by a Prince who wants revenge for trying to cut his hair off ages ago. _

*Is there a problem, Nicole?* Lathanir asked, finally using her name.

She sighed again and pushed her hair away from her face in resignation. *No, no problem,* she muttered. They had reached the fighting area by now and saw that Lathanir had already set out a table of different weapons that they could use. She approached it and took in the selection. Among the display of shiny metal, she found a sword that was just the right length for her, not too heavy, and, she admitted with some hesitance, _it's pretty. Well, it is. Shiny blade, a little tracing of a leaf at the base of the blade, a carved hilt with a pretty green stone on it. if I have to go down in this fight, I might as well go down in style, right? Right? _Nicole's logical mind wasn't convinced. The girl took up the sword and swung a few practice strokes while Lathanir warned Legolas to go easy on her. She had to resist the urge to snort. _Yeah right, that Elf will do anything but go easy on me. Lathanir will be picking me up in pieces before the hour is over._

*Are you ready?* Lathanir asked, looking to both of them as they nodded and moved out into the open space.

Nicole held the sword steady in front of her, trying to ignore several Elves which had stopped to see what was going on. Legolas unsheathed his two long knives and took a battle stance. The Elf prince regarded her with a raised eyebrow.

*Surely you don't expect to fight me while still wearing that dress, do you?* he quizzed her.

Nicole smirked. _This guy obviously knows nothing about these Elves. _*They haven't given me anything normal to wear, so I've been training while wearing dresses,* she replied with a hint of anger and annoyance as they circled each other.

He abruptly stopped walking and put his knives back into their sheathes. *I will not fight you,* he said firmly.

Nicole advanced slowly, her sword lowered slightly. *Why?* she asked with a dangerous glint in her eyes.

*You are wearing a dress. Clearly you will not be fighting as well as you can. I do not wish to fight an opponent unless that opponent is fighting at their best.*

*Yeah well, tell that to Lathanir and the rest of them,* Nicole replied harshly and leaned on her sword. _I hope they get into an argument... Maybe then they'll forget about the fight and I'll be let off. Or at the very least, maybe I'll get some normal clothes. _ To her great disappointment, the moment that Legolas actually told Lathanir and asked that Nicole change, Lathanir complied quickly and she was led back to the changing pavilion. Her jaw dropped at this and she couldn't find the words to either protest or rejoice as she was pushed into a partitioned cubicle and given leggings, a tunic and boots to change into. _THAT IS NOT FAIR!!!! I've been bothering them for weeks, and he just asks and poof! What is this? Are they racist or something? _Nicole winced as she reminded herself that she had to start thinking of herself as an Elf more often. She emerged from the pavilion with a huge smile on her face because she was finally comfortably clothed. Abandoning the rumpled dress at the front of the pavilion, she jogged lightly back to the two Elves. 

Lathanir couldn't help but stare at how changed she looked, because she had once again pulled her hair back into a French braid, looked much more at ease in the new clothing, and didn't look like the same girl. Although, that could have been partly due to the idiotic grin she couldn't wipe off her face. _Three weeks of dresses, now normal clothes, it's not surprising that I'm practically bouncing from joy. _*C'mon, kids, lets do this thing,* Nicole said cheerily, much more confident about the fight.

Taking up their positions again and circling each other, Legolas and Nicole each tried to judge the other's first move. The Elven Prince was the first to strike, jabbing low and to the left. She jumped aside and moved her sword to strike him across the back, but his quick spin put his blades in the way of contact. The fight went on in much this way: Legolas striking, Nicole trying to get him while he was inattentive, then being thwarted and reduced to more circling. It was tiresome and finally Nicole decided to take matters into her own hands.

The girl ducked to the left and under the Elf's arm, then taking a step to the side so that she was on his unprotected right side while he was still whirling to get at her behind him. A carefully placed foot caused him to stumble. In the second of a loss of balance, Nicole brought the pommel of her sword down between his shoulder blades, but not hard enough to seriously harm him. The fact that the girl had even managed to hit Legolas annoyed him greatly, so he returned the favor with interest. Likewise, Nicole didn't appreciate being hit in the stomach, so the fighting began in earnest now. As each Elf found another way to strike their opponent, they got more and more angry to find that they were being blocked or repaid. Within a matter of a minute, blades were flashing brightly as they sliced and diced and attempted to gain an upper hand. It was obvious that Legolas wasn't trying his hardest, but Nicole was getting short of breath already. _Stupid Elf... probably thinks I'm still not fighting at my best, _Nicole thought bitterly as she side-stepped another slice aimed at her ribs. _I can't get any better. At least the clothes help. Normal clothes are good! _ Making use of her normal clothes, she was able to leap onto the table of armor to get out of the way of another swipe of blades, this time aimed at her knees. 

With some curiosity, Nicole noticed that Legolas' next stroke was not aimed at her, but rather the table legs, a second before the blades hit the wood. She jumped off the table, momentarily putting her hand on his shoulder to give herself some extra force. As she had hoped, the push on his shoulder sent the Elf prince off balance once more, and gave her the opportunity to use the broad side of her sword to sweep his legs out from under him. Before she could react or even register how the movement was possible, the Elf had used her own move against her and wrapped one ankle behind her feet, and delivering a hit to her shoulder, causing her to fall flat on her back. Legolas stood triumphantly over her, one foot on her stomach to keep her from moving.

His eyes shone with an unnatural gleam of evil. Bending over her, he reached for a handful of Nicole's hair and held his knife to it. "Does this seem familiar?" he questioned, using Westron to keep the words somewhat more private because they were surrounded by Elves.

As terrified as she was, the girl couldn't resist her next comment. "Go ahead, cut it off. It's only a bother to me anyways."

The Elf frowned for a moment and calculated a new plan of revenge. He abruptly dropped the fistful of hair. "Since you seem so eager to cut off your hair, perhaps it is best that I leave it as it is. It seems a more fitting... reward," he said sarcastically.

_Sure, a reward. Oh joy, I get to live with hair that's a mile long. What a great prize. _Nicole thought those words were pretty accurate, and was about to say them but she realized it was rather hard to form syllables. _Ow... can't.... breathe.... _She gasped painfully, and tried to squeak out several words. What came out was, "can't breathe... lungs... coll-apsing... need _air_," before she succumbed to a fit of coughing.

Thankfully, Legolas removed his booted foot promptly and oxygen was restored to Nicole while his composure instantly flickered towards concern. Nicole kept a grimace of pain on her face but grinned inwardly. Quickly sweeping her legs across the ground and to the side, she successfully brought Legolas down too, albeit he landed heavily on her legs. While he lay for a moment in shock, she pulled herself to her feet and smirked down at the prone Elf. "You're right, it does seem familiar," she replied, idly twirling one of the prince's blades in her hand, contemplating whether or not to cut some of those 'precious' golden locks off.

Lathanir cleared his throat, rudely interrupting Nicole's moment of gloating. She quickly replied silently with, _stupid Elf. I'm never allowed to have fun, am I? _Reluctantly, she flipped the knife over in her hand, offering the hilt to Legolas. He took it suspiciously and accepted the hand up she gave him. Having done her good deed for the day she turned to glare at Lathanir. *Are you happy now?* she grumbled.

*Very,* he said dryly. 

*Your skills have improved,* Legolas admitted in an attempt to turn the attention away from himself.

*Yes, she has been able to keep up somehow,* Lathanir replied as though Nicole being good at something was a surprising bit of information. Nicole cleared her throat in annoyance. *Very well, Nicole has improved and we have taught her as much as we can.*

*Thank you,* she said smugly.

*I think you misunderstand me,* said her teacher. *You have improved, but you still aren't near perfect.*

*Hey!* Nicole said, immediately taking offence. *What's that supposed to mean?* she demanded and advanced towards him.

Lathanir laughed off the idle threats the girl was trying to make. *Dear girl, I had no idea you would stay with your training for so long, and I truly am happy that you have progressed so far. But you are still no match against a fully-trained Elf.*

Nicole mulled that over in her head for a minute, but decided that it was the closest thing to a compliment she would get from him and accepted it with a grin. *Oh really?* she couldn't help asking and raised an eyebrow. Nicole glanced at Legolas and bit back her laughter.

The Elf Prince glared and replied. *Rest assured, I would have beaten you if I so desired.*

She rolled her eyes and laughed at the response. The merriment was interrupted by Haldir and Ella's approach. The latter's eyes widened at Nicole's clothing.

*What happened? Did you not find a dress?* Ella asked in horror. *There were many, I made sure--*

Nicole laughed again and reassured her friend. *Don't worry about it, I finally got normal clothes. It's so great!* she exclaimed and whirled in a circle to demonstrate how easy it was to move. And then succeeded in tripping over her own feet and landing hard on her hands and knees. 

Haldir offered her a hand up and revealed why he had come, and why Ella was with him. *You have finished your training in weaponry. This is an area where only more experience will fine-tune your skills. However, your other training has not yet been completed, Lady Nicole.*

The use of the title "Lady" in conjunction with her name should've clued Nicole in. But it didn't. Even when she linked arms with Ella as the Elf steered her back through the forest, leaving behind the training grounds but keeping Lathanir and Legolas in tow. While they were mounting the stairs back to the main flet of the Lady, Nicole still didn't figure it out. Ella kept chattering about some new braiding technique she wanted to try out. Nothing clicked. Only once Ella had led the way into Nicole's room, Nicole finding it to be completely different from the way she left it that morning, did a suspicion begin to take shape in her mind.

Her bed and wardrobe had been shoved into a tight corner, the chairs and tables were removed and her washroom space had been dramatically decreased. The room seemed a whole lot bigger now because of all the floor space, although some of it was taken over by other endeavors. By the window a dress-making area had been set up were an Elf worked diligently, leafing through samples of materials she held in her hand. Another Elf was pulling down the curtains to let in more light while his coworker swiftly rolled up the rug, revealing a smooth floor. The changes to her living space set alarm bells ringing in her head.

*What are you doing?* Nicole demanded letting go of Ella's arm and rushing forward into the room. The pieces of the puzzle were quickly putting themselves together. _Lady Nicole, such a polite term-- hair styling tips from Ella-- **dressmaker** in my room--- although I can't figure out what they need all the space for, or why the carpet has to go. Other than that, I think they're trying to do something... I think it's something that I'm not going to like **at all**._

_ *_You have completed your combat training,* a voice said from behind her, entering the room seconds after Nicole's group. Galadriel had spoken to her and Tarcalen and Ulanieta, confidants of the Lord and Lady, followed in her wake. *Now it is time for you to begin your other training.*

Nicole's eyes widened. _I only signed up for one training!!!! No more, please! And besides, this one looks more difficult than fighting. _ She questioned the meaning of the statement in a quiet, frightened, and also partially dangerous voice. *What do you mean?*

*You must be trained to be a proper lady.*

The girl groaned and moved across the room to throw herself onto her bed and scream into a pillow. _Stupid Elves! Stupid Elves! Stupid Elves want to force me to become a stupid lady, not going to happen. No stupid dresses! No stupid braids! ARGH!!! Stupid Elves! _ While continuing her mental monologue she had begun to rhythmically pound her head against the mattress and letting out noises of frustration at intervals. The Elves all turned to look at her, more confused than usual concerning her behavior. No one moved to attempt to stop the girl from further injuring herself. A few minutes later, realizing that nobody cared about the pain she was about to go through, Nicole flipped onto her back in exhaustion. She closed her eyes tightly, and regretted the words that were about to come out of her mouth.

*What do I have to do?* asked Nicole through clenched teeth.

This set the Elves into action. Ella immediately turned towards the wardrobe, flinging through dress after dress, eventually pulling out a truly extravagant one that Nicole would never wear (light pink and lilac satin dress with sheer sleeves and gathered at the waist: very girly). Ulanieta went to begin consulting with the dressmaker on what fabric would be best and what color would suit Nicole. Tarcalen directed the two Elves clearing out the room to put the furniture as far out of the way as possible. Galadriel began to look through a number of items that had been brought in and dug out a brush and a few hair accessories. Lathanir, Haldir and Legolas watched this all with amusement until Nicole got up and marched them out of the room.

*No, uh-uh, there is no way that I'm allowing you three to witness my utter humiliation as a warrior and be turned into some happy, shiny, blonde who thinks only of flowers, rainbows, and what dress she should wear tomorrow,* she told them as she herded them out the door. They were laughing now and this only served to promote Nicole's annoyance. *OUT! NOW!* she commanded sternly, pointing down the hall. *And not a word of this to anyone! NOBODY!* The three Elves left at last, although their laughter could be heard for a while.

Nicole stormed back into the room, huffing and puffing and wanting to blow her room down. Ella forced her behind the screen hiding the bathtub, demanding that Nicole get herself clean or else. Needless to say, Nicole wasn't used to taking a bath when a whole bunch of other people were in the same room and only separated from her by a screen. So she cleaned as quickly as humanly (it should be Elfily, but that doesn't make sense as a word) possible and was getting dressed again within five minutes. The second she stepped out from the screen and Ella saw that she was again dressed in her training clothes, the Elf shoved her back again and handed her that horrid pink dress. Emerging moments later, Nicole glanced in disgust at the frock she had been forced to wear. She was immediately swept up by and ushered into a chair, Ulanieta taking a seat in front of the girl and beginning to explain the concept of etiquette to her while Galadriel began the task of putting Nicole's hair into some semblance of order.

In the middle of a truly inspiring discussion about sipping, not chugging, from a glass, Nicole interrupted Ulanieta.

*Why must I be submitted to this torture?* she moaned in anguish.

Ella was amused by the question, Ulanieta frowned angrily, Tarcalen and the others were too busy working on some other chore that Nicole couldn't see, but Galadriel was the only one willing to reply to the question.

*As I am sure you must have noticed, the Fellowship has rested here for nearly a month,* responded the Lady. *It is time that they must move on again. I have spoken with Aragorn and he plans to leave in four days time. Elves are not willing to allow their guests to leave without a celebration to speed them along their way, thus a festivity has been arranged for two nights before the departure. It is my thought that you would like to attend the event,* here Galadriel paused and Nicole nodded her agreement. *It is clear that you cannot go to such a celebration with no training whatsoever of how a Lady should behave. You must be taught etiquette, poise, perhaps some music and dance as well. And we must make you look the part of a lady.* Galadriel continued to describe the schedule for the next days, none of which interested Nicole and most of which repulsed her.

_Oh joy, _she muttered silently and sarcastically. _I get to be a lady. Poise, grace, and all the brain cells of a stick of celery. The name Gracie-Lou Freebush comes to mind. _Nicole grimaced as the dressmaker held up the fabric she had chosen to use: a deep blue satin and a translucent blue sheer fabric. _Stupid Elves._

**A/N: Sorry... this took about two weeks to write, and I know that it may not be worth it, but if any of you go to be educated, you understand that it IS physically possible to get buried under a mountain of work. Gracie-Lou Freebush isn't mine, by the way: she belongs to Sandra Bullock in Miss Congeniality. Great movie, that one. Hopefully all you Legolas fans are happy with his appearance. Those of you still waiting to figure out what's been going on with the Fellowship, rest assured that the next chapter will be entirely about them. Although in reality, the Fellowship didn't do much in Lothlorien. They just lounged around and lost track of time. It was a month in total... personally, I don't understand how it's possible how to mess a month up with a few days, but I'm rambling so I'll just stop typing now. Review please! ~MoI~**

**P.S. ~ If you were able to talk with the members of the Fellowship, each on their own, what would you say to them and why? Please reply in your review, or e-mail me @ morgaine@myst.net if your answer is really long. Thanks!!!!**


	18. Nine Dancers To Rule The Ball

**A/N: C'mon reviewers! Let's try for 40 reviews!!!! I read through all the reviews for the previous chapters, and I tried to put as much of all the stuff you guys love into this chapter. I hope it works out OK. Unfortunately, although tremendously popular in its debut in Chapter Eight, The Jingle for Goldfish is not going to be in this chapter because... well, it just doesn't go well. Maybe the next chapter, I'll see. Oh, and while on the topic of songs, can you think of any good traveling songs for Nicole to sing? Put them in your review, PLEASE!!!!! Thanks! *smiles sweetly* ~MoI~**

**Disclaimer: read previous chapter disclaimers because I am simply too lazy to write another one. sorry.**

**Home Sweet Home**

**Chapter Eighteen ~ Nine Dancers to Rule the Ball**

*One, two, three. One, two, three. One, two, thrEEEEOWW!*

Nicole winced and hastily apologized for the umpteenth time in the past hour. She had stepped on Tarcalen's toes again. He stood on one leg, rubbing his fingers on his injured foot and trying not to glare at the girl.

*I think it be wisest if we stopped now,* the older Elf muttered and sank onto the edge of the bed as there were no chairs remaining in the room.

*NO!* The abrupt cry made Tarcalen jump back up from his seat, Nicole look up in surprise, and the dressmaker poke herself with a needle. The latter glared at the intrusive noise and went back to work.

Ella had rushed back into the room just in time to hear Tarcalen's words and a look of pure panic was currently expressed in her features. *You can't stop! Keep going, go, learn!* she cried, hastily shoving Tarcalen at Nicole again. *It's tonight, do you understand that? _Tonight!* _Having finished her raving, she ran back out of the room to go attend to the other preparations.

Nicole couldn't help raising an eyebrow. *And you people think that _I'm _the crazy one?*

*Let's just get back to work,* sighed Tarcalen, taking Nicole's hand and putting one hand on her waist. They were in the midst of a rather painful attempt at teaching Nicole how to dance. So far, all they had to show for it was a very clumsy Elf-version of a waltz and Tarcalen's slight limp. As well as one very annoyed girl wearing a purple frock (forced on her by Ella) and a dressmaker with several more yards of fabric to deal with and not a lot of time.

Tarcalen began the count again and Nicole tried to follow the steps. _How many times has an Elven voice been described as musical? A gazillion? Maybe more? But it isn't. Well, it is, but it isn't musical enough. How am I supposed to dance without music? I tell you: **it isn't possible. **Why, oh why, have I been chosen to be subjected to this pain? What did I do? I promise, I'll be a good girl from now on, _Nicole pleaded with some unknown higher power. The Valar, she guessed, in this world. _ I'll stop playing tricks on everybody. I'll try to stop stepping all over Tarcalen. I'll be civil to Legolas and not cut his hair off. I'll even endure Pippin's staring again! JUST **MAKE IT STOP!!!!**_

Surprisingly, her mental outburst produced a palpable result. Tarcalen abruptly stopped dancing, and Nicole snapped out of her thoughts and back into reality. Tarcalen had an expression on his face as though somebody had just told him he had won the lottery. _Actually, they probably don't have a lottery in Middle-Earth, do they? Besides, with all the little symbols they would have to use as numbers in all the different alphabets, the little lottery balls would be covered in writing. And that's just not the way a lottery is supposed to be. No, Nicky, STOP. Think about normal things. Get back to reality. _It took great effort, but finally Nicole managed to ask Tarcalen what was making him so happy.

He looked at her with a gaze of absolute joy and wonder. *You did it,* he breathed.

*Did what?* asked the girl.

*You did it without stepping on my feet!* he exclaimed. Nicole noted with some surprise that it was true, this last time she had danced without injuring anybody. *Oh, thank the Valar! I can rest!* Tarcalen promptly plopped on the bed, proving that Elven patience and endurance was not infinite. He waved a hand to indicate Nicole. *She's all yours now,* he told the dressmaker. *Enjoy.*

As Nicole switched Elves, she also had to switch dresses. The dressmaker, now found to be not nameless but named Rahiolae (yet another Elven name that left Nicole's tongue in knots), forced Nicole to stand absolutely still while she adjusted the hem of the dress. The skirt was nearly finished, the top part was done, but for now it was sleeveless. As Nicole struggled with staying still she pondered how this sea of material could be turned into something that she wouldn't mind wearing and something _ different_ than all the other dresses she had seen. A design came to mind, and, hazarding a guess that talking was not considered movement, asked for some paper and a pen from Tarcalen, who was still enjoying doing nothing.

*Paper is surely not a problem. But what, pray tell Lady Nicole, is a 'pen'?* he asked.

*Oh,* Nicole replied intelligently and frowned as she tried to think of what pens were called way back in the days before technology. *A...quill? That's what it is, right? Could I have a quill?*

Finally understanding the request, Tarcalen left the room and promptly returned with the items, handing them to Nicole. This did not go over well with Rahiolae.

*You are not planning to write now?* she asked incredulously.

*Sure, why?*

*You might ruin the fabric! And it will disrupt the sewing of the hem!* protested Rahiolae.

Rolling her eyes Nicole replied, *Chill out, it's a plan for the dress.*

Giving her the all-too-familiar angry glare, the Elf allowed her to sit and write, but only after covering her lap with another cloth. Nicole awkwardly handled the quill, but managed to make a rough sketch of what she had wanted the dress' sleeves to look like. The neckline formed a sort of 'v' shape, and the sleeves were tied at intervals, but there was extra fabric at the back of the neck, making a semi-hood. The sketch was proudly shown to Rahiolae, who snatched the paper away, scribbled on it for a few minutes and handed it back. The seamstress had improved the drawing considerably. The design was still the same but more detailed and laid out so that it looked better.

*Excellent! Can you make it?* Nicole asked.

There's that haughty Elf look again. *I can sew anything,* Rahiolae replied. The Elf immediately went to work, forcing Nicole to stand still again. She warned that it might take a while, so Tarcalen decided to leave and avoid the risk of helping Nicole with anything else.

*May your preparations be successful, Lady Nicole. I hope that you will remember the dance,* were his parting words.

Nicole rolled her eyes and stood silently and patiently as Rahiolae did what she did best. That worked for a total of five minutes.

*So what's a party like?* began Nicole. 

*The affairs are usually grand, especially for such an occasion as this,* the seamstress muttered distractedly.

*That explains why I need to be all proper, doesn't it? Who's coming, do you know?*

*Considering the purpose, I suppose the people you arrived with shall attend, as well as the Lord and Lady and their closest staff.*

Nicole's brain slammed into overdrive. _The Fellowship is going to be there? EXCELLENT!!! Alright, now, what I need to do is plan some really good pranks... _Nobody noticed that Nicole became unusually silent and had a strange gleam in her eyes. _There's just one more thing I need to make my plan work, _Nicole thought once she had finished making her plans. Coincidentally, Galadriel entered the room at the same time, to see if Nicole was ready to go.

*I'm almost ready,* replied Nicole as she was finally released from Rahiolae's clutches. Her hands went to her hair, trying to put it into her favorite style: french braid. Galadriel frowned at the hair-dressing attempt.

*Is there anything else that you require?* the Lady asked.

*Well, now that you mention it...* Nicole hesitated since this was a question that was risky. It might be ridiculous or it might be too much. *Is it possible to make me look... different?* The Lady raised a graceful eyebrow at the question, not understanding. *I mean, different so that I can't be recognized. Maybe wearing a mask or... I don't know.*

*You wish to be concealed. Why?*

The girl averted her eyes and tried to look innocent. *No reason...* In the next instant, she felt light-headed and felt her mind being sorted through to find something. A split second later the feeling was gone but Nicole glared accusingly at Galadriel.

*I see,* remarked the Lady. *Might I suggest simply telling Gimli that you appreciate his teaching skills, rather than throwing a 'large bowl of ale-flavored Jell-O' over his head?*

The girl pursed her lips in thought finally shaking her head. *No, that won't work. It has to be random or else they'll recognize me.*

*And if I were to help you in disguising yourself, you would use a less catastrophic method of delivering your messages?*

Her shoulders slumped. _Face it Nicole, this is the only way you will ever get to say what you want to say without being recognized for it. Take it or leave it, it ain't coming again. _ *Alright. I promise I won't do anything ridiculous or harmful or Nicole-ish. Just make me different, please,* she asked of Galadriel.

The lady swept a hand at the stool that the seamstress had been using. *Take a seat,* Galadriel commanded and began her work.

As far as Nicole knew, all that the Lady of the Golden Wood did that afternoon was braid Nicole's hair, arrange a hair piece, put a necklace around her neck, and remind her to behave like a lady. She never figured out how it had happened, but when she next looked into a mirror, she was nearly unrecognizable.

Before showing her the result in a mirror, Galadriel bid Nicole to rise and looked at her in silence for a moment. Gently cupping Nicole's cheek in one hand, Galadriel spoke softly. *We are proud of you. It has been some time since the Elves of Lorien have had cause for laughter or one so young as yourself amongst us. You have progressed so much, but you retain your fierce spirit. Grown so mature, and still a child.* The last statement seemed said more to herself than the girl.

Nicole stared at the Lady. It was the nicest thing anyone had ever said to her. Or at the very least, it was the nicest thing she could have imagined to hear from an Elf. The girl turned woman abruptly noticed that she hadn't reacted yet. _Stupid thing. Nicole, think of all the nice things that these Elves have done for you and all the things you put them through. Don't just stand there! Show some gratitude! _Taking her own advice, and acting on impulse, Nicole hugged Galadriel.

The Lady was surprised by the action and pleased too. She gently held the girl and listened to her quiet whispers.

*I know I've been such a pain,* Nicole whispered. *Thank you for putting up with me, you've given me more than I could ask for. I'm not sure of what will happen once I leave these woods, and I'm scared a little too, but everything about this place will always be dear to me. I would return here if I may, and if not then all my memories of this time will be in my heart.* She couldn't think of any thing more to say or how to better express her thoughts in words.

Galadriel softly pushed the girl back so that she could look at her again and smiled. *Have hope. Have faith,* were the enigmatic words she offered as advice.

Nicole frowned. *Hope? Faith? In what?* she couldn't help asking. It was simple enough, but where to place her hope and faith? Frodo already had enough weight on his shoulders, she didn't want to add to it.

Galadriel laughed: a light sound, like that of clear bells. *In yourself,* replied Galadriel, smiling once more and leaving Nicole to wait for her escort...

~*The Ball*~

"Oh-OH! We're halfway there! OH-OH! LIVIN' ON BREAD!!!!!!!!!!" Nicole had been left alone in her room for around two hours, it was now dark outside, and nobody had come for her yet. Since she didn't know where the part-ay was she couldn't get there on her own. And, being the insane creature that she is, Nicole was forced to amuse herself as best as she could. Hence the scene: Nicole, jumping up and down on her bed doing her best rock star impersonation, yelling out random lines from rock songs at the top of her lungs.

"Singing I LOVE ROCK AND ROLL, so put another dime in the jukebox baby, I LOVE ROCK AND ROLL, so come and take the time and DANCE WITH ME!!!" Nicole jumped off the bed, trying to pretend that she was crowd-surfing. Landing with a _thump_ she began flipping her hair around doing an air guitar solo. It never occurred to her that somebody could walk in at any moment. She started on her next song. "WE WILL, WE WILL ROCK YOU!!! **ROCK YOU**!!!!!!!!!" More wild dance moves and hair flipping accompanied her words.

A soft clearing of the throat finally alerted her to another person's presence. Poking her fingers through the curtain of hair that had covered her face in mid-flip, Nicole peered out towards the door. _Oh damn, it's Haldir. *mental shrug* It could be worse. It could've been Galadriel or Celeborn. _She let her hair cover her face again and conceal the mad blush that spread across her cheeks like wildfire.

*Tarcalen has failed after all,* Haldir said with a sigh. The shadow of a smile tugged at his lips and Nicole realized that he wasn't serious.

The girl burst out laughing still hiding behind her hair. *Just give me a sec, Haldir,* she said and rushed over to her mirror. It temporarily obscured Haldir's view of her, and Nicole fixed her hair and the disarranged dress sleeves. She smirked at her reflection. To any casual observer, she could be mistaken for an Elven princess. Whatever Galadriel had done, Nicole now looked at least 1000 years old and very Elf-y. _Note to self: NEVER look this Elf-y again. _She wrinkled her nose again at the Elf staring back at her and went back to where Haldir was waiting for her.

The Captain stepped forward to offer his hand but paused when the girl appeared again. He was not even certain that it was the same person. True, she was wearing the same dress, but the young Elf maiden looked elegant and graceful and nothing like the spunky crazy girl that he had helped train. For the first time since first meeting her, the girl truly looked like the Elf that she was.

*Lady Nicole?* asked Haldir with a tone of slight uncertainty.

*The one and only! Let's go, I've been dying of boredom!* she replied breezing past him and out the door. Haldir stared in shock for a moment and saw the sharp contrast of her appearance and her personality. *C'mon! And drop the 'Lady', it's annoying!* 

~*~*~*~*~*~The REAL Ball~*~*~*~*~*~

Nicole gazed in wonder at the hall that they were entering. The great wooden structure had a large dancing floor and plenty of laughing and chatting Elves all over the place. The traditional soft glowing globes of light of LothLorien hung in strings from the leafy branches overhead. To see so many Elves at once and all so dressed up was overwhelming. Nicole noticed that she was one of very few people here that had dark hair and it made her stand out. As she and Haldir entered, Nicole gripping his arm tightly, the attention of quite a large number of the assembled crowd was drawn to them. Even the Elves who had been practicing alongside her for the past few weeks did not know who Haldir had come with. Nicole allowed herself a smile. _Excellent... now not even the Fellowship will recognize me. That's just what I need. _ They went out into the room and walked amidst their kin.

"I can't believe I'm doing this. I can't believe I'm _dressed _like this," Nicole muttered in Common to avoid any Elves overhearing.

"You look beautiful," Haldir replied, startlingly her. _Oh yeah... he speaks Common. Damn him._

"Thanks, oh untruthful one," she said with a smirk. Haldir laughed. Nicole was surprised, but happy, to see that the people that she thought were so serious could laugh freely now.

"You will do very well tonight, Lady Nicole," he told her. Raising a hand to silence Nicole's protest that she wasn't a lady, he continued. "You are a lady, and a warrior as well. But for tonight, you can just be a normal Elf enjoying herself at a ball."

She smiled her thanks at him and they chatted about less important matters, occasionally joining in conversations with other Elves. Nicole was very pleased to find that she was unrecognizable. In the middle of a rousing talk about proper bow maintenance (_Rousing? _she thought, _ more like sleep-inducing_), Nicole turned at the light touch of a hand on her shoulder and smiled at Lord Celeborn.

*I wonder if I may have a dance with you, Lady Nicole?* he asked politely and lowering his voice when saying her name.

As she was led out to the dance floor, Nicole stared at Celeborn. *How did you know it was me?* she whispered when they began dancing.

The Elf Lord chuckled softly. *There are many things that my wife can do, but very few which can fool me. Although I would be intrigued about the reason of all this.*

Trying to keep her mind on the movements of the dance and her thoughts at the same time, Nicole managed to answer. *I don't know if I'll ever have a chance to speak with them again without being judged for it later,* replied the girl, implying the Fellowship. *There are things I want to say to them but not be recognized.* Nicole avoided the Elf's gaze, knowing that her actions weren't likely something befitting of an Elf.

They danced in silence for a few more moments. *That can be understood,* Celeborn said at length. *I only hope that your messages will not be so heavy that the evening will be deprived of its levity.*

_What? Did that sentence make any sense? _Nicole wondered until her brain caught up with the words. _OH, I can't say anything bad that will make them sad. Ha, that rhymed! _She snapped out of her thoughts to find Celeborn waiting for some kind of answer. _ Oops... what was he talking about? _ Going for the easiest way out, she smiled and nodded. _That's the best slogan for life. Smile, nod, and everything will be OK._

Celeborn laughed again, knowing that the girl hadn't been listening. *You are so young, my dear girl, and I hope that you may visit us again.*

_Ok, Nicky, this is part one of many. Go! _She drew a deep breath and began, *Lord Celeborn, there are no words that I can find to express my gratitude for being so accepted in your home. I bid you find a way for me to repay the favor. Such a gift as you have given must be repaid with equal generosity.* _I sounded so smart! Yay! Thought it up all by myself, I did. Except that was the only speech I have. So for the rest I'm basically in trouble. _The song ended just as Nicole finished speaking, and she bowed slightly to the elder Elf. 

He took her hands and smiled. *There is no need for repayment, save perhaps a return visit. Your stay has brought me much amusement, especially the story I heard from Lathanir a few days ago. Something about a fight with a prince.* Nicole's eyes widened and the Lord laughed merrily. *Worry not! It is not a story that will travel far, I assure you. Now go, enjoy your evening, and deliver your messages!*

Nicole left the Lord of LothLorien in high spirits and began the search for her first victim. _Dun dun.... dun dun.... dundun dundun dundun DUNNN!!!! _Nicole silently played the Jaws theme song in her head as she approached the person she was looking for. _Aha! Yes, I see it is my first victim! Muahahahaha! _Composing her "evil" thoughts, Nicole tapped the small person on the shoulder.

"Good evening, Master Meriadoc of the Shire," Nicole said, allowing her voice to become melodious and said her words almost as though they were a song. She bowed slightly, sweeping out right arm in a gesture of welcome. The hobbit, dressed in the clothes the likes of an Elven princeling's, stared in shock at the Elf before him. Nicole smiled warmly. _The hobbits are so cute when they're clueless! _ "I wonder if I might dance with such an admirable Hobbit before he departs?"

Merry, the poor guy, was still in a bit of shock, so Nicole took his arm by force to guide him towards the music. "Pardon my asking, Lady, but how do you know me?" the hobbit questioned.

"It is a widely known thing, especially at such an occasion as this," she explained as they danced. It was a bit awkward dancing with someone that was several feet shorter than her, but Nicole got used to it somehow. "Such a journey must certainly be daunting, despite the courage you possess."

Merry glanced away. "It ain't easy being so far from the lands I know. Seeing as this will be taking some time, I hope it will be the same when I get back," he mused.

"Bravery like yours is not often come by, because you were willing to accept the journey," responded Nicole. "Now that you are on the journey and have already seen some troubles, you must not forget that there is light yet in the world and in the heart that has hope."

The hobbit looked at her not understanding her words. "I don't get your meaning," apologized Merry.

Nicole laughed happily. _This is working so well! Not recognized yet, speaking so well, and being enigmatic and saying riddles, just like any proper Elf! _Returning to the present, Nicole explained. "Though the path is not as straight as you may like, remember your light-heartedness. Laugh when you can, make the best of your situation. I have never known hobbits to be sad creatures. The mood you are in is too serious for my liking. Rather that such young people should enjoy themselves when they can!"

Understanding most of what was said to him Merry obliged and grinned at the Elf. "I'm sure I won't understand all of what you said until later, but I'm glad for the words." The music quieted and the dancers switched on and off the floor as they pleased. "Would you like to join me?" he invited, with a mischievous glint in his bright eyes. _He's probably already planning some plot to get Pippin involved in and cause a disaster. _

"Thank you kindly for the offer, Master Hobbit, but I'm afraid I still have things to tend to," Nicole said as they parted. Happy with her first message delivery, the hunt began again. _Oh hobbit? Here little hobbitsy! Where are you??? _Nicole wove through the crowd of merry-makers, waving once at Ella who she saw talking with a male Elf of about the same age. She grinned, thankful for the one Elf who wasn't so uptight. _When in doubt, always ask: What would Ella do? _The top of a curly light brown head could just be seen if Nicole stood on her tiptoes. This hobbit was found speaking, or trying to speak, with one of the Elves who had an interest in horticulture. The hobbit didn't known Elvish and the Elf didn't know Common, so they were having some difficulty.

*Dunilon!* called Nicole, remembering the Elf's name from an early introduction at the party. Reaching the two gardeners she chuckled at their predicament. *It would appear that you have some trouble with the Westron tongue. Although I hear that a love of plants can transcend the need for words.*

*Indeed, it is a daunting challenge to speak with the Halfling, but I would love to learn of the plants of his lands,* the Elf admitted.

*And I promise that you will be able to do just that, but I wonder if I could borrow our little friend for a dance?* she questioned.

*As you wish!* Dunilon replied, allowing Nicole to turn her attention to Sam. The hobbit was, similar to Merry, staring at her.

"Master Samwise! I would be much obliged if I could have just a dance," Nicole asked.

Sam blushed horribly. "I'm not much of a dancer," he mumbled.

Nicole beamed at him. "Neither am I!" she exclaimed and dragged the hobbit out into the dancing. Sam wasn't lying, Nicole had to be extra careful not to step on his toes and avoid his misplaced footsteps.

"It is a sad thought, is it not?" she said by way of conversation.

"What do you mean?"

Nicole had to bite her lip. _ How many times am I going to be asked that? Maybe dropping the whole riddly thing would be better. _"That you and your companions must travel in so much difficulty."

Sam shrugged which oddly messed up his dancing. "It isn't so bad as I'd thought. At least it isn't a travel alone, that'd be terrible," he explained.

"I would think such a journey would bring you all close together," she commented.

"I don't know that it would," said Sam. "Being so close as we are might drive us all mad."

"You mean that too much of the same would be bad? I can't say I disagree. But the friendships you have will serve you well." Nicole paused, wondering how much she should say. _I have to say more... just look at those little hobbit eyes. I feel bad for Sam. He's gonna have hard times ahead. That's it, I'm saying something. _ "Be true to your friends. The bond strongest after family is the bond of friendship. Remember that as you go on. It is advice that has served me well many times." _No it hasn't, Nicole. Are you making all of this up? _Nicole silenced the sane voice in her brain. _So what if I am? At least I'm helping. And I've been true to my friends... maybe. Alright fine, so I don't know what it means. Just shut up, you stupid brain! _By the time that Nicole got her thoughts under control, the dance stopped and she left Sam with Dunilon after the hobbit had thanked her for the strange advice.

The young Elf wandered through the party trying to find somebody to bother now. That talk with Sam hadn't gone very well. _ Stupid brain keeps interrupting me... I ought to make it shut up. If only it had a mouth I could sew up. _Getting rather depressed because of her stupid brain Nicole wanted to find a person that would distract her. _ Just the guy I'm looking for! _Gimli sat at a nearby table, looking very uncomfortable due to the numerous Elves. Nicole, forgetting for a moment her purpose at the event and her Elfness, approached the Dwarf, who was otherwise being avoided by the Elves.

"Am I ever glad I found you," Nicole muttered, but over the din created by the party and because of Gimli's "excellent" hearing, the words never reached the Dwarf's ears.

"Aye?" Gimli asked, regarding Nicole with suspicion.

Remembering what she looked like and what she should do, Nicole sighed to herself and reassumed her role. "Gimli son of Gloin, might I ask a dance with the only Dwarf in the hall?" she asked with a smile.

Gimli grumbled something into his beard. Speaking up, he said, "I don't dance. I can't." He blushed with this confession but his beard concealed most of it.

"Might I then enjoy your company for a while, even without dancing? Perhaps some ale?" Nicole asked knowing that Gimli would be tempted by the drink, if not by talking with an Elf.

"Aye, that you may," he replied and before his sentence was done, the girl had whirled on her heel and disappeared into the crowd. "Well that wasn't very nice."

Gimli's words were heard by Nicole's Elven ears and as she returned, seconds later with two mugs of ale, she tossed back a comment. "I would think it very nice, considering that now we needn't move anywhere, since I brought the ale to us." Gimli reluctantly agreed. Handing him a mug, and taking a seat across from him, Nicole glanced at the contents of the mug before deciding not to drink it after all. _Elven food and drinks are great. But ale is equal to beer, and beer is equal to disgusting, so me is equal to not drinking ale. Haha, I love my equation! _

"So what shall we discuss?" asked Nicole. She could think of a million things to talk about with Gimli when she was just herself, but as an Elf, there was precious little that could be said without ending in an argument.

Gimli chugged down the entire mug before taking a moment to think of a reply to the question.

Laughing, Nicole offered an alternative. "Someone once said that the most to be said is spoken without words." _Or something like that. Stupid brain probably got messed up again._

Gimli grunted his agreement and accepted Nicole's mug when she explained that she wasn't going to drink it. The ale was gone in minutes. Giggling once more, Nicole enjoyed simply being with the Dwarf. Gimli himself didn't mind this Elf that much. She looked as much a royal as Gimli had ever seen in an Elf, but her attitude clearly showed that she hardly cared whether she sat with a Dwarf or an Elf. It occurred to him that she had known him but he did not know her. "You knew my name, Lady Elf, but I don't know yours. It seems unfair," he scolded.

"Many things in this world are unfair, Master Gimli, and a name should be the least of our troubles," she answered.

"I was unaware that we had troubles, milady," he said with suspicion creeping back into his voice.

Nicole froze. She had forgotten again that she wasn't supposed to be Nicole now. Her mind raced to make the statement more general. "Do we not all have troubles? Especially with the shadows that grow. Our troubles are the reason we are assembled tonight. We wish to forget for a while." She breathed a sigh of relief. _ That had sounded nearly believable. _

The two sank back into a silence. It was not a comfortable silence that Nicole would have had with Gimli, but this was an awkwardness that spread between the Elf and the Dwarf like a tangible wall. _If this is what it's going to be like when-- IF Gimli finds out I'm an Elf, then I'd rather just be plain old me again. I never asked for this. Hold the phone... didn't I come over here to cheer up? So much for that brilliant plan. In a few days I can be normal again, but for now, it's time for my escape. _She stood from the table and stretched her arms. 

"Alas, my good Master Dwarf, sitting and contemplation are well enough, but I am in need of movement. I ask again, will you dance with me?" she said, hoping that this would be a plausible excuse for an exit.

"I decline your invitation, but I am thankful for both the drinks and the company," rejected the Dwarf.

"Then I shall depart. May it go well for you, Gimli Gloin's son," she said in leaving.

"May your search bode well!" he answered in return.

_That's it, I NEED to get cheered up. Somebody bring out the margarita's and the conga music. Nothing says cheerful like a fiesta! _ Much to her chagrin, Nicole's search for happy thoughts ended in the discovery of Frodo sitting by himself in a corner looking very desolate. _I see that there is no rest for the weary. Gee, why don't I go cheer somebody up and get myself more grumpier while I'm at it? _Her sarcastic thought annoyed her even more and she forced herself to become composed before she approached the hobbit.

"What is the cause for such sadness at a festivity like this?" she asked softly, bringing Frodo out of his thoughts. Her musical voice reflected her Elfness and for once Nicole was happy that the race of Elves brought a gentleness and kindness with it.

His blue eyes turned on her. "Thoughts of the journey behind me, the losses... and thoughts of the journey before me, plague my mind," he whispered, wondering what had made him confide in this Elf woman so easily. Her presence was comforting, familiar, and understanding, but he could not figure out why. "Have we met before?"

"I would surely remember it if it had been so," Nicole answered. "This is our first meeting, although your story has preceded you and I know the task that you face. It is important, that much is true. And yet it appears that you forget something."

Frodo tilted his head slightly in question. "There is not much to forget. It is a mission to complete. What more must I know?"

The Elf sighed. "I wish that it were not so simple to you, although some would argue that is the best way." She paused, and Frodo thought that she must be thinking. Nicole was thinking, _and now the pause for dramatic effect! _ She resumed speaking. "You forget that which matters more to the people that journey with you. The quest is not their worry. Remember that they hold fear in their hearts for you as well. Do you not believe that your life is more treasured?"

The Ringbearer thought this over. It had not been something that had occurred to him previously. 

"If there is something that you must remember and hold true, it is the value of yourself." At this point Nicole ran out of steam. The whole serious thinking thing that her mind was going through right now was getting her confused. _Let's move on, shall we, Nicole? _She mentally answered in the affirmative. Nicole danced with the hobbit and talked about happier things for a while, asking random questions about the Shire, but she quickly excused herself once the song was over.

Nicole flopped into a huge flumpy chair in a secluded corner, getting worn out from all the talking. _Yes, stupid brain, I do realize that flumpy is not a word, but it is NOW! Muahahahaha! Ick, stop, evil laughing takes too much energy. _Glad for the numerous distractions of the party to keep curious eyes from her, Nicole let herself slump down and rested her head against her arms which were on the arm of the chair, which made her sit sideways, which is really an awkward position and which hurts quite a lot when sitting like that AND wearing a dress. (A/N: run-on sentences are fun!).

Her temporary reprieve was temporary. The whispers of quiet voices nearby were picked up by her sensitive ears and were succeeded by mischievous and restrained laughter. _Huh, that's odd, _thought Nicole. _It sounds a lot like that time when Merry and Pippin were stealing those fireworks, and then later when they were cooking on Weathertop. Hold on just a hobbity second! ... ok, new rule: no more use of the word hobbity, it is just too strange. Let's try that again, Nicky. Hold on just a second! (much better) That IS Merry and Pippin! Quick, to your horses, oh chivalrous Elves! Save your party from the fiendish hobbits! _The lifeless girl realized that none of the Elves had realized because they were too busy laughing, talking, and enjoying themselves. Grumbling, she got off her chair and went in search of the voices. _Stupid Elves can't deal with the little hobbitses. Fine, make ME do the work. _She discovered the hobbits only a couple of tables away, plotting of a way to get high enough to be able to dump a bowl of the Elven version of fruit punch on Aragorn's head.

Resisting her urge to join in their mischief-making, Nicole reassumed her Elven persona. Gliding silently up to the two hobbits, she leaned down and stuck her head right between the two of theirs.

"I do not think that he will appreciate your prank-plotting efforts," she said in a stern voice and grinned as both of them nearly jumped out of their skins. _I see now that there ARE some perks to being an Elf. _Merry began stuttering and trying to explain while Pippin just mumbled incoherently. Nicole silenced them both by raising her hand and laughing. "Peace, my little friends. I will say nothing of your plan, if you agree not to carry it out."

They nodded humbly, but shared a glance that clearly implied they were going to do it anyways. With a mental sigh, Nicole noted _ I'm going to have to keep an eye on Aragorn, and keep him away from fruit punch. _

"I came to ask, if I might have a dance with your friend, Meriadoc," Nicole addressed to Merry. "Perhaps he is as fine a dancer as yourself." Merry blushed, but Pippin promptly made up his mind.

"That's very nice of you, but no thank you," he replied. Merry stared in shock and elbowed Pippin.

Nicole raised an eyebrow and asked, "Why is that, my good sir?"

"I... well you see..." and some blushing was the answer.

Merry helped out his fellow hobbit. "There is another lady he is interested in."

"Really? Understandable, I suppose. But how could just one dance hurt?" Nicole pressed.

"He can't think of anyone else, not even of dancing. He's completely obsessed!" Merry explained.

Nicole smiled sympathetically. "It must be difficult for you to do anything at all without thinking of her," said Nicole to Pippin. She was extremely happy to find out that Pippin had gotten himself interested in somebody else, even if it was hopeless because it must be an Elf since they were in Lothlorien. Or maybe it was some old friend from the Shire that he was recently remembering. Either of the options suited Nicole perfectly, as long as it wasn't her. "So who is the lucky girl?" she asked.

Pippin readily replied when asked about his object of affection. "She the most beautiful person in all of Middle Earth. Her hair is perfect, her skin is perfect, her eyes are perfect, and she is the kindest person I know." Nicole breathed a sigh of relief: she was by no means perfect or kind, so it definitely wasn't her. "She is an angel..."

The way Pippin said those words nearly made Nicole fall over. It was the same way he had said it when they were on top of Caradhras. As it was, Nicole had to try to smile politely, not hearing the rest of Pippin's words, just trying to get her heart rate back under control. _Oh great, what am I going to do with him? He must be crazy! What else could explain it? _When Pippin had finished his description of Nicole, she gave him a tentative pat on the shoulder.

"Good luck with that," she told him.

Merry grinned as she began to back away. "Don't worry about him, at least he won't ever bother you." Merry couldn't have known how false his words were. "He always gets a bit strange when we're at a party or when there's ale."

"I understand completely," Nicole nodded and hastily backed away from Pippin who was gazing into the air. Turning back to Merry she smiled. "Have fun, Master Meriadoc. Don't let him get too serious!" she said with a wave.

Nicole grinned, her spirits much higher as she left the company of the hobbits. _Gotta love those little people. If only THEY had been the ones to make prophecies... Year.. four-hundred and fifty one of the First and A Half Age: Upon the leaving of an orange sunrise and the coming of a purple twilight, people shall gather from distant corners and there will be much ALE, PARTIES AND FUN!!!! That's the spirit!_

Weaving amongst the cheerful party-goers, the girl spotting a familiar face out of the corner of her eye. Turning around to see more clearly, she noted that the face was the only familiar thing. Aragorn was completely done over, a lot like her own experience with the Elves. He wore a tunic of light silver-grey and darker grey pants. His hair was *BRUSHED* (this, by far, the most shocking thing to Nicole), but he still had stubble on his chin. She smirked. _Just goes to show that you can take the Ranger out of the Wilds, but you can't take the Ranger out of the man. Or king... same difference. OOH! That's what I should talk about with him! His kingliness! _Moving towards her next dancing partner, Nicole hoped that her talking wouldn't be so serious that it short-circuited her brain. _I'm going to need a LOT of sugar and insanity to take this smart-ness out of me... tomorrow, I am doing NOTHING except for doing nothing. Wow... that really made sense, _she thought sarcastically.

She opened her mouth to ask for a dance with Aragorn, having reached him at last.

*Milady, would you accept the offer of a dance?*

_Hang on... did I just refer to Aragorn as 'milady'??? What is WRONG with me? _Then she realized that Aragorn had spoken, addressing her, not the other way around. Nicole smiled and took the proffered arm. As they began a slightly fast-paced dance (not slow enough to be a waltz or a ballet, but not fast enough to be a jig), Nicole tried to find a good sentence to begin her next tirade of advice.

*Lothlorien and the company of Elves has done much for you, Lady Nicole,* her dancing partner said to her in a conspiratorial whisper. 

*Please, stop it with the 'Lady'--* she cut off her sentence, and realized that she had been found out. Her eyes widened and her voice dropped to a whisper. *How did you know? Nobody else has seen me this entire time!*

Aragorn seemed hesitant to answer but decided it wouldn't be a problem, really. *I was informed,* he began.

*Informed? What? By who?* interrupted Nicole.

Aragorn finished his sentence, *By Legolas.*

The girl's calm Elven composure was threatened by her severe anger and annoyance. Aragorn could feel her tense as they danced and saw her eyes flickering quickly, trying to find the Elven prince. *I take it you are still unhappy about the fight a few days ago,* the ranger guessed.

Nicole pinned him with an accusing glare. *You know about that too?* _Is it just me, or is my training a popular topic for gossip around here? _*Damn Lathanir... should've fought _him _ instead...* she muttered under her breath. Although aware that Elves loved telling or singing stories, Nicole had never known them to be gossiping people.

He spoke again. *What are you thinking?* he asked. Forcing her to meet his steel grey eyes, Nicole know she couldn't answer truthfully. She had been plotting schemes to get revenge on both Legolas and her trainer but now knew that Aragorn wouldn't let her do anything. Just like a strict king... or a father.

Nicole tilted her head to the side as she looked at him. *I can't wait to see how you're going to turn out,* she said, avoiding his question. The young Elf could tell that he wanted to ask her something else, but her ears caught the final notes of the song and she smiled. *Sorry, my friend, we're just going to have to finish this conversation another day,* said Nicole with a grin, bowing quickly and leaving Aragorn's company. _I should be an escape artist, that was really good! Nice work, Nicole! _Her thoughts turned somber again in an instant. _And now for the Revenge Plotting and Avenging. Let me see... where can I find a blonde Elf? _She was referring to both Lathanir and Legolas, since both were blonde, but her answer was too vague for her liking. All around her, the blonde Elves of Lorien chattered happily. 

Beginning a tedious circuit around the hall, Nicole remained polite to the other Elves, absently declining a couple of invitations to dance, sing, or join a conversation. Luckily for her, most of the Elves were too happy or distracted to notice her. 

Nicole nearly shouted out loud when she finally found the Prince. He was a hard person to find and it had taken her a while. But finally, the blonde that she had picked out in the crowd was the right one, and was dressed in the deep green colors more common to Mirkwood Elves. She strided up to him confidently, tapping him on the shoulder so that he would turn around. Legolas politely excused himself from the conversation he had been having, and then turned to face the interruption. Nicole noted that his eyebrows were raised when he recognized her.

*I've got a bone to pick with you!* she said, clearly showing her anger through her stance and glare.

The usual blank expression appeared on Legolas' face, which frequently occurred when Nicole used one of her phrases. *Is something wrong?* he asked coolly.

She stared at him in disbelief. *Wrong??? Where have you been? On Mars?* _Oh right, _Nicole berated herself, _this isn't Earth, they don't know about Solar systems and planets and stuff._

*I must say, you have changed quite a bit since I last saw you,* Legolas replied. Nicole got the feeling that he was randomly talking to keep her attention away from her anger.

*No changing the topic! Who gave you the right to tell people about me?* she demanded angrily.

*Perhaps a dance?* Legolas tried again. The girl was clearly getting more and more worked up and he preferred not to attract attention if at all possible. Before Nicole could protest and further question him, he placed a firm hand on her arm and led her into the swirl of dancers just as the musicians began a tune similar to a waltz.

*You're only going to hurt yourself,* Nicole grumbled, aware that this was just the kind of dance that Tarcalen had been having the most trouble teaching her. She obediently placed one hand on his shoulder and the other grasped his hand. Legolas put his free hand on her waist and prayed desperately to the Valar that the girl would get distracted by something, anything.

The Valar must have been busy at the time, because his prayers were not answered. *Did it occur to you that I look completely different tonight for a reason? Maybe I didn't want people to know who I was. But you never thought of that before you went blabbing to Aragorn., did you? I seem to remember, only a few days ago, telling you that not a word was to be said about this. And what did you do? Go to have a chat with your buddy, that's what.* She let out a growl of frustration at this point, before continuing. *You are SO annoying! Always have to have it your way, don't you? You're just a prince, I don't see why you are exempt from some rules!*

The prince arched an eyebrow as they danced through the crowd. *I wasn't aware that there were rules.*

Nicole glared at him, for once at a loss for words. _I guess that the concept of keeping secrets hasn't been developed in Mirkwood yet. _

*You must have been taught dancing as well,* Legolas noted to fill the silence. Nicole didn't reply. *Perhaps they managed to help you with your singing as well.*

This urged a reply from Nicole. *Ugh, you remember that? That was horrible.* _I can't even remember half the words of the song anymore._

Legolas grinned inwardly. This seemed to be a sore subject and he meant to exploit it if possible. *The musicians would be happy to learn a new song. You should teach them the one you sang before Moria.*

Nicole wrinkled her nose. *The Jingle for Goldfish? Oh yea, that's totally Elven.*

*I do not know the name of it, but I would recognize the melody,* he hinted. Nicole reluctantly hummed a few bars, but stopped because Legolas shook his head. *No, not that one. It was slower, sadder. It wasn't a song that you wanted heard...*

Nicole suddenly blushed deeply, remembering that Legolas had heard her singing when she was homesick. "I can't..." she whispered in common. The subject of the place she had left was not something she was comfortable with.

"Maybe you are just scared," suggested the prince, keeping the conversation in common.

Nicole snapped back from her weird reverie mood and remembered the reason for talking to this Elf in the first place. *Damn right, I'm scared! Do you have any idea how Gimli would react if he ever found out about me?* she hissed in a furious whisper.

Legolas frowned. *But he did not recognize you, tonight, did he?*

The response was a roll of her eyes. *I'm not talking about tonight. Haven't you realized that Gimli is a Dwarf?*

*Obviously.*

Nicole stared at Legolas, unbelieving that he still didn't realize it. *Don't you get it? Dwarves don't particularly like Elves, and I don't want to lose his friendship... he's one of the people that I can rely on, he's like a really protective, but still really great, brother to me.* She said it quietly, knowing that if any Elf over heard they would probably stare at her as though she had two heads.

It was still loud enough for Legolas to catch it and his shock upon hearing her words made him miss a step in the dance. Nicole promptly tripped over his foot because it wasn't in the right place and felt herself falling to the ground. Legolas' grip on her waist tightened and he pulled her closer, turning the near fall into an elegant spin. They were silent for a moment, the steps now synchronized once more. Nicole vaguely noted that the music seemed different than before.

*Elves do not give such titles to others lightly,* the prince eventually said quietly.

Nicole realized that he meant her calling Gimli a brother. *I know.*

Her sincere answer startled him. He had thought that she had named the Dwarf in that manner simply because she was angry and desperate to prove her point.

*How long have we been dancing?* Nicole muttered distractedly. _I thought that we had started on a different song... maybe my Elf ears are malfunctioning. _

*Three songs, this being the third,* the Elf replied.

*Oh.* _No wonder the music seemed different. _ The current song began to wind down and the end of it was approaching. _ One more thing to say before I go... and this he can pass along to Aragorn. _She cleared her throat softly. *I... don't want them to know. About me being an Elf, I mean.* Nicole kept her eyes downcast but the silence was killing her. She hated herself for what she was about to do. _Weren't you just complaining about his royalness? And what are you about to do? Practically grovel! _Her sarcastic, independent and slightly hot-tempered side was NOT a happy camper. Resigning herself to this, and realizing that it probably placed her in the Elf prince's control, she spoke one final word. *Please.* The song ended and Nicole took her hand off of his shoulder. She blinked and regained her formality.

*It was a pleasure to dance with you, Prince Legolas of Mirkwood,* she said, using his full title for the first time. *May your journey go well for you.* She bowed slightly, whirled on her heel, and left the dance floor.

Nicole was extremely angry with herself, and even more so with Legolas. _Now I've given Legolas something to hold against me, and that stupid idiot somehow managed to make me un-angry at him. And I have to be civil to him anyways because of what he knows. But I'll get back at him. One of these days he's going to wake up and be bald. BALD!!! _With a new Plan of Revenge forming, Nicole wandered aimlessly through the crowds, looking for someone to talk to.

She got a lot of offers to dance and join the company of Elves, but she refused them, wanting to either find somebody to direct all her anger at or somebody who will distract her. Nicole politely smiled at some vaguely recognized faces, her eyes not really focusing. _What was that plan for cheering up that I came up with a while ago? Oh yeah... margarita's and conga lines. That's what this party really needs. _To amuse herself, Nicole tried to imagine the Elves with flower-print, neon, and tie-dyed clothes. She shuddered at the image. _That is just wrong in so many ways. _Interrupting her rather lame attempt at entertaining herself, somebody spoke.

*A dance, fair maiden?* asked a voice, directed towards her.

*Nay, thank you, but perhaps later,* was the response Nicole had been dispensing automatically from her lips for the past few prospective dancers. This time her reply was not met with the usual nod, smile, or well-mannered answer.

*No, truly, I insist,* the stubborn Elf replied, catching Nicole's arm.

She spun around, wrenching her arm out of his grasp, about to loudly shout "Get your hands off me!", but the words never formed. *Oops,* she said, realizing her mistake and her face changed back into friendliness from the anger previously presented.

Haldir lectured her. *As your escort, I do expect at the very least, one dance with my charge.*

Smiling apologetically, Nicole set out for the dance floor once more, and this time when Haldir took her by the arm, she didn't protest.

*I heard something about a plot you were making against one of our visitors,* the Lothlorian-soldier said.

*Thank you, Haldir, for proving to me, yet again, that I should never again speak in LothLorien,* Nicole replied. Haldir's questioning gaze promoted further explanations. *All this night people have been gossiping about me.*

*And it is no wonder. You are unrecognizable to their eyes,* Haldir reasoned.

*Not about me, but about ME, and knowing ME.* Nicole was frustrated. She wasn't supposed to look so Nicole-like.

*And thus the plot for revenge against Legolas was created. Am I correct?*

Nicole refused to look at him. It was the same as with Aragorn, she couldn't lie to Haldir. The Elf's laugh caused her to look back at him sharply.

*I wish you luck in your endeavor, though I do not wish to be present when you are found out,* he said with a chuckle.

Nicole dismissed the thought with a shake of her head. *I'm planning, that much is true. But I can't actually do anything, or else they'll find out about me. Besides, I already tried and failed miserably.*

*Sounds like an interesting story. Would you like to tell me about it?*

Nicole gave Haldir a suspicious glance. *I don't think so... stories and talking are what got this all messed up in the first place. But thanks for the offer.*

*As you wish,* Haldir replied and stayed silent for a while. It looked like he wanted to say something but wasn't sure how to say it.

*What?* Nicole asked finally, sick of waiting for the Elf to speak.

Haldir looked at her kindly. *If there is one thing I want you to know before you leave once more, it is this,* he began to explain, as though to a child. *You are an Elf now, whether you wish it or not. And even though I realize that there has been some... disagreements between you and one of your traveling companions, I also see that you are both Elves. Try to remember that, please Nicole, and try to act accordingly.*

Nicole half-smiled. *I don't know how you managed it, but you sounded like you were scolding me and giving me advice at the same time.*

He laughed merrily. *I was! I am glad that you could see the wisdom in my words. And I must say something more, if you will allow it.* Nicole nodded and he continued. *When you leave Lothlorien, I will worry about you. I know that you have been trained, but even the best warrior can be beaten. And I will await your return.* 

Nicole was sad to hear his words because it reminded her that she was leaving soon, and had to go back out into the world. She would have to leave the Elves that had become a family for her. The musicians' instruments slowed and stopped, but Haldir didn't let go of Nicole. They looked at each other for a moment, simply smiling and remembering the other's face. Nicole abruptly crushed him in a hug and mumbled into the fabric of his tunic. *I will come back, I promise. And I never break a promise to a brother,* she said softly, happy to feel Haldir hugging her back and acknowledging her words.

*I wish you strength in your voyages, little one. May the Valar watch over you,* Haldir whispered by her ear. His words made it clear that he also thought of her as a sister.

Nicole felt like crying. She still had a day left in Lothlorien, but she didn't want to say goodbye. The young Elf broke the contact and smiled up again. *Thanks. Your moral support is admirable,* she told him. They shared another smile and went their ways, Haldir being called away by Celeborn to discuss something, and Nicole going off in search of Boromir, whom she had glimpsed a while ago.

_Boromir... here Borry... c'mon, where did you get to? _Nicole scanned the hall for the Gondorian. Suddenly a tingling sensation hit her senses and she felt like she was being watched. Turning slowly but casually, Nicole looked around behind her, trying to find the person staring at her. A second later, she spotted Boromir leaning against a pillar of grey wood, dropping his gaze immediately and turning away. Happy to find him, but this time when she approached a member of the Fellowship, she remembered who she was and avoided acting the same way that she normally would.

"I hope that you are enjoying yourself in the house of the Lord and Lady," Nicole said, coming up beside Boromir and surprising him. His slightly shifty gaze made her laugh. "Perhaps it is that a Man amongst so many Elves is not an appealing thought for you."

He bowed and apologized. "Forgive me, milady, I was wrapped in my thoughts for a moment." Boromir looked carefully at her for a moment. "I was not aware that there were any Rivendell Elves visiting."

Nicole simply smiled, but inside she was panicking. _I'm not a Rivendell Elf! I'm an Elf from... oh geez, I don't even have a home in Middle-Earth! Well, Lothlorien is pretty close, but I'm obviously not one of these Elves. What do I say? Think think THINK Nicole, use that brain! _She finally answered after a second of thought. "There not many visitors to Lothlorien in these times, but the Elves of different realms still keep contact with each other," she replied. It seemed plausible enough. "Shall we dance?"

Boromir obliged and offered her his arm and Nicole headed for the dancing guests yet again. Thankfully, the musicians had abandoned the waltz theme and had taken up a more lively piece. Whirling around with many other laughing dancers, Nicole was supremely happy not to think about anything at all. She spotted Ella among the crowd and met her eyes, smiling. _Thank the Valar that some Elves can have fun! _Nicole's thoughts turned pensive. It was the first time she had named the Valar in the place of ruling over Arda. She smiled again, thinking that she was finally beginning to completely accept that this was her home.

Throughout the dance, Boromir had been studying the Elf-maiden with much curiosity. Her laugh, and seeing how carefree she was at the moment seemed incredibly familiar to him. If he could just remember why...

"Is there something the matter, Master Boromir?" Nicole asked while keeping up the light steps of the fast dance. Boromir was having more trouble with it than she was, so she kept them at a slightly slower pace than everyone else. Thankfully, he didn't notice that she had known and used his name. Or maybe he was simply the first to figure out that their purpose in Lothlorien was no secret.

"You greatly resemble someone that I know, milady, I simply cannot remember who it was," he mused.

Nicole began panicking again. Her brain was faster with coming up with an excuse this time. "Perhaps you have seen me here, but simply not noticed," she suggested.

"No," Boromir frowned, the memory almost surfacing, but not quite. "It is older than these past few days. It may be that I met you in Rivendell."

Nicole smiled innocently. "It is possible." _ No, it's not. Never been to Rivendell. But it would have been so cool to be at the Council. To meet all those people. To see those amazing houses. But no. Had to get stranded on a rock instead. Although I have to say, that this way I never had a problem with becoming a member of the Fellowship. I just added myself on._

Her thoughts dispersed and she focused on the dance again, doing her best to ignore Boromir's constant staring. When the song ended she thanked him for the dance. To her surprise, he took her hand and kissed it.

"It was an honour to dance with such an honourable Elf, milady," he said, bowing.

"Er...yes. Enjoy yourself at the party!" Nicole said and dashed off into the crowd. Once out of his sight, she wiped her hand on her dress. _Ick! he must've mistaken me for Arwen or something. Why else would he kiss my hand? Who invented that custom anyways? Obviously a guy. Women are not respected here... well, maybe they are, but they aren't equals. I am never wearing a dress again. _Finished with making sure that her hand was back to normal, Nicole looked around her for a new source of entertainment. It quickly found her.

A hand came to rest on her shoulder and a voice spoke up from behind her. 

*I see that your messages were delivered by ordinary methods,* said a familiar voice, the smile evident in the tone.

Nicole turned to see Celeborn and Galadriel, the first being the one with a hand on her shoulder and the second being the speaker. *Somehow I managed, for all the good that it did them,* she replied with a sigh. Her advice had been kind of clumsy and she doubted that any of the Fellowship would remember her words come morning.

*They are cheered, and ready to face the journey again,* Celeborn assured her. *You did very well.*

*Thanks,* Nicole mumbled as she blushed madly. 

*And what do you think of it?* he questioned. He explained, *The journey that you insist on taking.*

*I don't know, I haven't really thought about it,* she admitted. She didn't want to think about the battles and the losses that were ahead of her.

*The training, both in combat and in etiquette, was very helpful to you. We are confident that you will do perfectly well outside these woods,* Galadriel told the girl.

Nicole stared at the two Elves. Just like when she had first met them, they seemed to glow more than usual and were definitively distinguished and impressive to see. They fell quiet, giving Nicole a chance to ask any questions or say anything that she wanted. Personally, Nicole had always wondered about the glow that surrounded all Elves naturally. For some it was strong, on others, less noticeable, but maybe it was controlled by them all the time. She opened her mouth to ask, but the couple smiled simultaneously, somehow knowing her thoughts.

*That is an answer unique to every Elf,* Galadriel began.

*Though all reasons link back to the same thing,* Celeborn took over the sentence, but Galadriel finished it for him.

*We are with light because we seek the light and want life,* she finished.

*But to the rest of your question--*

*We must reply that it is possible--*

*And many Elves choose to do so, and to control the light which they emit.*

*Some may lower it to merely a shimmer and--*

*Others can make it extremely radiant.*

Nicole's head was slightly spinning. _I hate it when they do that! Why can't one of them pick to do the whole speech by themselves??? _She cleared her head. *Thanks, I wasn't quite positive on that,* she replied. The probably explained why it was always really bright when she had trained into the night hours.

*Perhaps you have not noticed, but you have the light as well,* informed Celeborn.

*I do? Why?* Nicole asked dumbly.

Galadriel laughed. *You are an Elf, are you not?*

Nicole had to admit that the Lady had a point. She lifted her hand in front of her eyes, but saw very little except for a faint paleness that seemed to expand beyond her skin. *That's not a glow, that's being ghastly white,* she said sarcastically.

*At the moment it is weak, but it radiated strongly earlier when you were dancing. Extreme emotions also increase it, although with time all Elves learn to control it,* they explained.

*Huh,* mumbled the Elf, still examining her arm. *That's new.*

The two High Elves watched with amusement. The girl who appeared so mature was behaving like the youngest Elves, always curious about why Elves look one way, but everything else is different. They were both proud of her, but not completely sure why, because having stayed for such a short time it was hard to believe that the girl had found her way into their hearts and become a regular part of their lives. And only in a month... a month was a very short time for an Elf.

*May you travel far and safe on your journey,* Galadriel began.

*But always return to Lothlorien, where you will always have a place,* concluded Celeborn.

Nicole grinned happily and awkwardly hugged them both at the same time. She understood that even though she wasn't leaving right at this moment, it was better to get used to the idea of leaving now, and have the next day to feel it, so that when they leave she wouldn't break down in tears.

There was no more need for words, Nicole's gratitude easily read in actions and face (and glow) by the pair. They parted ways and Nicole took in her surroundings again. The grand hall was slowly clearing out, she could see some members of the Fellowship heading out the main entrance. She wondered if they would remember what she had told them. She hoped that Legolas would keep her secret. And right now, she also desperately hoped she could find someone who could tell her which way her room was.

Ella appeared as if she had been summoned by thought. Nicole grinned at her and they wearily linked arms, facing the main doors. 

*Ready to go?* Ella asked, tiredness apparent in her voice. It had been a long night, but a lot of fun.

*Yeah. Let's bust this joint,* Nicole said, not quite sure is she had used the words correctly. (A/N: I think I heard that in a move once, but if it's wrong, PLEASE don't kill me????) She thought that the night had been worth the tiresome and annoying preparations, and voiced her opinion.

Ella chuckled. *I wouldn't make you get dressed up like this for nothing. You didn't seem to like it very much.*

Nicole agreed and looked at the main entrance again, at the far end of the hall. *Time for our big exit.* The girls had planned this out the night of the day when Nicole had first begun lady-training. It would be just like the two spontaneous Elves to go out with a bang. *Ready?* Their eyes met and they both nodded simultaneously.

*Ready,* Ella answered with a nervous giggle. Turning straight towards the doors in unison, Nicole counted them down softly under her breath.

*Three... two... one!*

In extremely high and way off key voices, the two girls sashayed down the length of the hall with arms linked, singing at the top of their lungs.

*WE'RE OFF TO SEE THE WIZARD, THE WONDERFUL WIZARD OF OZ! THE BESTEST WIZ IN ALL OF THE BIZ IF EVER A WIZ THERE WAS! OH, WE'RE OFF TO SEE THE WIZARD, THE WONDERFUL WIZARD OF OZ! BECAUSE BECAUSE BECAUSE BECAUSE BECAUSE...*

At this point they were at the doors and all the people still assembled in the hall were staring at them. They did an about face, turning back to their audience.

***BECAUSE OF THE WONDERFUL THINGS HE DOES!*** they yelled out in their squeaky voices, and fled through the door way, their raucous laughter echoing through the forest.

**A/N: The songs Nicole was screaming out at the top of her lungs while dancing like a fool in her room are not mine. They're just random rock songs that I don't know the names of or the artists. The song at the end is "We're Off To See The Wizard" from The Wizard of Oz. I don't know why I put that in, but it was the first song that popped into my head and all the other ones didn't seem to fit as well. Also, I'm not quite sure if there WERE nine dancers... seems like a bit more to me, but that's alright. I was playing on words: get it? Nine of the Fellowship ended up in LothLorien (including Nicole), and it was "One ring to rule them all"... all rhymes with ball.... *throws hands up in frustration* I KNOW that my humor makes no sense, but I was bored, alright???**

**Considering that this chapter took me nearly a month to write *breaks down in tears: I'm such a pathetic excuse of a writer! sobs*, I would really appreciate a review (or more than one, if you like) for this chapter. Sorry about the length, but I couldn't make it shorter without taking out stuff that I felt was 'necessary to plot development'. Actually, I just liked it. :P And I feel I should let you all know that this chapter is MORE THAN 10,000 WORDS LONG!!!! YAY ME!**

**Alright, enough of me praising myself. Give me some criticism to take me off my soapbox. Review!**


	19. Na Na Na Na, Na Na Na Na, Hey Hey Hey, G...

**A/N: I'm trying VERY VERY VERY hard to get this chapter you to you guys before Christmas (Or Hanukah, or just the holidays in general), because I'm gone for half of my time off from school. So probability of an update during the holidays is very small. I hope ya'll enjoyed that last chapter, and if you didn't, you can complain about it all in your review. *hint hint* Happy Christmas and Merry Holidays! ~MoI~**

**Disclaimer: if I owned LotR I would be rich. And since I don't have a laptop, that would indicate lack of money, hence, I own nothing except Nicole. But she's cheap, so that doesn't exactly count. ;) Also, I'm trying to mix both book and movie here... Oh, one more thing. The title of the chapter comes from the lyrics of the song Na Na Hey Hey by Donna Summers. It's a disco song. **

**Home Sweet Home**

**Chapter Nineteen ~ Na Na Na Na, Na Na Na Na, Hey Hey Hey, Goodbye**

Nicole cursed her Elven nature as she woke up the next morning to see that the sun was just rising. _Ughh... go back to sleep, sun, I need more rest. _She rubbed her eyes groggily as she clambered out of her bed and over to the wash basin to fix up her face. _That party was forever... I wonder how long I stayed up. _After she and Ella had run like mad banshee's out of the hall, they had crashed into Nicole's room and spent a long time laughing and talking about nothing at all. Two hyper Elves + Elven resilience to need for sleep + lots of sugar = late night gossip fest and feeling hung over in the morning.

Not particularly caring that the only clothes that she liked were the once-worn tunic and leggings (slightly messy and wrinkled from the fight with Legolas), Nicole pulled the clothes on, brushed her fingers through her hair (still braided from the party, but not ornamented), and set off to hunt for breakfast.

_I... see.... you.... I... SEE.... YOU!!!! _ With the best creepy mental voice Nicole could summon up at... 5 or 6 in the morning, judging by the dawn, she pounced on the first item of food she saw when entering the dining hall. Apples. Grabbing one in each hand, the girl scanned the room for someone to sit with. Finding Ella looking just as tired as Nicole by the wall closest to the second entrance, she headed in that direction, alternating which apple she bit into as she went. Nicole reached her friend's table and pulled a chair up backwards, so that she was straddling it and could rest her head on the back of the chair.

*Howdy,* she mumbled around a yawn and bite of apple. Thankfully, Ella had thought of Nicole when getting all her food and pushed a plate laden with all sorts of Elven goodies towards Nicole. Abandoning the apples, now reduced to cores, Nicole dug into the meal. Through mouthfuls of food she somehow noticed that Ella wasn't her usual cheery self. *Why so glum, chum?*

Ella remained silent for a second and then looked up with a small smile that did not reach her eyes. *You are leaving tomorrow.*

Nicole's brow furrowed. *Huh. You're right, I am. I guess that leaves me with today for packing and the lot of it...* Saying good-bye was not mentioned, but implied and Nicole knew that this was what was bothering her friend. *I still have a day, Ella,* she said softly, placing a hand on the young Elf's arm.

*I know not much of your journey, but if you must learn to fight, then it must be perilous indeed. Loss of an immortal life, and if that life was my friend's...* she nearly broke into tears at this point and Nicole began to panic.

_Oh Valar, she thinks I'm going to die. But I'm not going to... I hope... _Ignoring her own insecurities and lack of faith in her fighting skills, Nicole tried to comfort Ella. *I know how to defend myself, Lathanir even said that I had learned very well. Besides, I have a whole bunch of well-trained fighters with me. I promise, I'll be alright,* said Nicole. She still didn't quite see why this was bothering Ella so much. So she asked.

*Since you got here I've had so much fun, and I've learned, and I'm trying to be better, I'm trying to be like you. And where would I be if my role model went off to die somewhere?* Ella's response made Nicole feel very old and shocked.

She couldn't help snorting her laughter. *Yeah, uh-huh, I'm a regular Mary Sue! Never seen one that snorts, though, or that doesn't fall in love with someone, or fulfill some ancient prophecy that saves the world. But that's ok. You seem to think so,* she replied lightly.

Ella had gotten lost in the very first sentence. *What is a 'Mary-sue'?*

Nicole regarded her for a moment, trying to judge if she was joking or just naive. Then she shook her head with a laugh saying, *Never mind about it, it's nothing. C'mon, I'm done stuffing my face, let's go see what trouble we can rummage up before I go.* Pulling Ella up with her, Nicole set off. And Ella, being encouraged by Nicole's levity regarding the situation, followed happily, beginning to chatter about a new coworker that was very easily annoyed...

The plan for creating havoc was removed swiftly by Ulanieta and Lathanir. The older Elves had stopped the youngsters on their way out of the dining hall, and insisted that they follow them. The two girls glanced at each other, hopping that they weren't in trouble for their marvelous exit the night before. To their relief, surprise, and mild suspicion, they were led straight back to Nicole's room, whose occupant found it to be changed yet again.

*Look, if you guys want to redecorate, that's fine by me, just don't do it every day,* she joked, but became silent when she looked around. Ella at her side was gaping, eyes wide, and disbelief displayed clearly on her features. Rahiolae had returned, with another set of fabrics, and a table had been brought in, much like the one at her fight a few days ago, laid out with weapons of all kinds. Lathanir ordered them to sit, and once again the only place to sit was on the edge of the bed, so that's where the younger Elves sat.

*I do not know if you wish to remain here, Eletarien, but if you stay, know that you will not be needed to work today,* said Ulanieta, generously offering Ella a chance to stay with her friend at no cost. Ella quickly agreed.

*Very well, then we may begin,* Lathanir continued. *Now, as we all know, Lady Nicole will be leaving tomorrow, and as the situation stands at the moment, she will be leaving for the Wilds with a wardrobe full of dresses and one set of ill-fitting hunting garments, and only a dagger to protect herself.*

Nicole frowned, and her fingers unconsciously brushed the dagger she had constantly worn at her side, even in Lothlorien, all the time except for the ball last night. *I happen to like the dagger and the clothes, thank you very much,* she protested indignantly, feeling that Lathanir was somehow making fun of her.

*Young one, despite the obvious like you have for those clothes, I assure you, I can create something better suited,* Rahiolae replied. She sounded less than happy to be there, and considering how incredibly annoying Nicole had been as a model yesterday that was no big surprise.

*I'm not young,* Nicole protested, more weakly this time. She allowed herself to be taught some more skills by Lathanir, and given more advice by Ulanieta though she spent more time with Rahiolae than anyone else. The choice of fabrics today was much more to Nicole's liking. Silks were less common, now replaced by a light, soft, but sturdy material and by a thick, resistant, wool. To calm Nicole's doubts about some horrible lavender tunic with a skirt and flowy sleeves being made her new outfit, Rahiolae sketched a design and explained the colors. She was to have leggings, a tunic (longer than most, just so that she didn't look completely masculine), and her sleeves would be loose, but not overly so. Going by the measurements taken previously, Rahiolae began to cut and arrange fabrics of different shades of green, brown and grey.

By the time that the day was half-over, both Ella and Nicole had given up trying to plead for Nicole's freedom and a chance to go out and have fun in Lothlorien one last time. Nicole had suffered the learning of three different knot types and what they were used for, reviewed the proper making of arrows, the importance of diplomacy when (or if) interacting with other races/cultures, and was about to be led off for riding lessons.

She came back to her room three hours later unable to sit down and very grumpy. *I don't see why I had to do that. We're traveling on foot. Horses don't seem to like me all that much. Even if I had one, I'd probably be choosing to walk rather than ride. That really hurts,* she complained and complained about horses, but finally was silencing by Lathanir's yelling.

*You rode your horse without a saddle, without a bridle, and got the horse to obey your command with the slightest touch, and had no problems mounting or dismounting! STOP COMPLAINING!*

Nicole backed away from Lathanir, meekly apologizing, but bumping into Rahiolae as she walked backwards. Immediately, she was snapped up by the seamstress, forced into a half-finished outfit, and placed atop a low stool so that the clothing could be fitted. The first outfit was a dark green tunic, with a lighter green shirt, and a deep two-toned brown jacket, with brown-green leggings. The second that the last seam was sewn, Nicole switched outfits, to another partially-finished collection. This set turned into a silver-grey shirt with a grey-green tunic and leggings of the same color. The tunics and jacket were sewn in the same basic fashion: loose sleeves, somewhat fitted top which allowed for movement, and going straight down to just before her knees, with slits on each side to avoid restraint, as well as hoods. _And where would a girl be without accessories? _Nicole thought to herself. She had been commenting on the entire game of dress-up to Ella with enthusiasm and al the flair of a Vogue fashion editor. 

*And now we have the cloak: its so IN this season. This particular design has a huge hood, capable of hiding the wearer from prying eyes, as well as the added bonus of being made of material that blends into any natural surrounding! And a nice length too, just past the knees, this years hottest trend.* Nicole grinned when Rahiolae stepped back for a moment to check how her work looked, just in time for Nicole to do a final runway-style spin.

*Alright, that's enough out of you. Change out of those clothes and off you go: Lathanir still wants something,* Rahiolae said, waving Nicole away.

Obediently, Nicole changed back into the rumpled outfit of before and came up to the table of weapons, where Lathanir currently resided. *Aye, cap'n? You rang?*

Merely ignoring her comments, Lathanir waved an arm towards the selection of weapons and said, *Choose.*

*You can't be serious!* Nicole burst out, but saw that the older Elf was. The table had swords and daggers, knives and bows, and even some little daggers, the kind you would use as throwing knives. After taking a general inventory, Nicole scanned it once more, noting the pieces that caught her eye. Slowly, she pointed out her choices and Lathanir placed them aside. Two long-handled knives, one of the favorite weapons of the Elves, with sheathes to match the flowing pattern on the blades. A dagger, smaller than the one given to her by Aragorn, but large enough to do damage, made of silver with an inlaid green and clear gem, also with matching sheath. Finally, a bow made of light and strong grey wood and the quiver of arrows that came with it. Having chosen all she thought she would need, Nicole glanced up at Lathanir to see if he approved of her choices.

To her surprise, he actually nodded. *Well-made choices. Those were the weapons I had in mind for you. Now, you must see if you can fight with them,* he commented, picking up Nicole's two long knives and flipping them so that she could take the hilts. He himself picked up another pair, and did a few practice strokes until he was satisfied that Nicole could work with them. They went through each weapon like this. Finally, Lathanir told Nicole how to wear them all, with some minor disagreements from Nicole.

*I don't see why the knives have to be strapped right beside the quiver. That just confuses me when I reach for one of my weapons,* Nicole tried to reason.

*It is the only way we wear the knives, and it is well suited to the manner in which we fight,* Lathanir threw back at her.

Angrily, Nicole took the two knives, stuck them in their sheaths and fumbled with the straps and buckles that held the knives in place on the wearer's back. Five minutes later, she strapped the knives on around her hips, one hanging on each side, within easy reach and balanced. *THIS is how I wear them, and THIS is how it suits me in my manner to fight,* she replied. Lathanir gave up trying to convince the stubborn girl.

*Very well, as you wish. Thought that will interfere with your dagger.*

*I thought of that too!* Nicole proclaimed happily and showed that her dagger had been relocated to a place in the small of her back, still accessible, but hidden enough if need be.

Reluctantly, Lathanir moved on. *Gauntlets,* he stated, and gave Nicole two arm-bands of leather with fine Elvish writing on them. Nicole could tell they were excerpts from _A Elbereth, Gilthoniel, _one of the Elves' most favored songs. The gauntlets were placed over her sleeves, so that the material would be kept in place and not hinder her fighting. Finally, Lathanir presented her with boots and a belt. The boots were made of durable leather reaching halfway to her knees and laced up. The belt was made of metal but looked like finely woven material, and was placed to hold the tunic belted around her waist. Having fully suited Nicole up, Lathanir admired his handiwork. The girl looked like a warrior, as much as he was loath to admit it.

*You are... ready,* he admitted with a sigh.

*I am? I am!* Nicole exclaimed, interrupting Lathanir's unfinished conclusion.

*But, you are--*

*I am NOT too young,* Nicole quickly said, knowing what was coming. *I've told you before, and I'll tell you again: I am old enough to take care of myself, and just wait a few years, then I'll look older too, and then you won't be able to say that I'm too young to protect myself.*

Lathanir laughed. *It will take you many millennia to become old, young Nicole. And so that you do not deny it again, I say to you now: I was the first to support the idea of training you. I must be losing my senses to say this but you are a fine fighter and I am pleased with the result of the training.*

_And now, the cue for the humongous, bone-crushing hug of gratitude. _Heeding her mental advice, Nicole threw her arms around Lathanir. *Thanks, I'm really pleased with the way you turned out too,* Nicole said with a wink.

All the people who had helped Nicole train and prepare over the past few days bid her farewell that night, including Lathanir, Tarcalen (who dropped in for a brief visit), Ulanieta, and Rahiolae, and left her in her room with Ella. The two girls were silent and stared at each other.

*I feel young.*

*I feel old.*

The two comments were simultaneous and a second later, neither was sure which comment belonged to who because they were both busy fighting off a fit of giggles. They spent another hour or so, now long past nightfall, talking about more serious things and making plans for future visits. Before Ella left, they held each other tightly: one, an Elf unwilling to see what would happen to her 'role-model', the other a girl afraid to be a role-model and afraid to go out into the world again. They released each other with a smile.

*Let's hope next time we meet, we won't be so immature,* Nicole said with a rueful grin, remembering the previous night's farewell.

*Let us hope that we will meet again at all,* Ella said, a touch more solemnly than Nicole.

*Namaarië, mellon-nin, until we meet again,* Ella continued.

*Namaarië, mellon-nin, until we meet again,* Nicole repeated.

Then Ella left, and Nicole closed the door after watching her to the end of the hall. The night was long, but she still had some things to do. Taking off all the weapons, sheaths, and accessories, Nicole placed them by the side of the bed, ready to be put on again come morning. She went out onto a branch of the tree closest to her huge window. There, the young Elf woman perched for a while and thought... of traveling songs to sing.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

She was led from her room at first light. Nicole was dressed and ready, and jittery, when Haldir and Rahiolae came to her door.

Rahiolae gave her a pack and instructed Nicole to put her extra clothes in it. *There are also several tunics and shirts inside, and some dried plants you many find useful,* the seamstress explained. She caught the younger Elf's arm. *May you go well and return better.*

Nicole forced a wobbly smile onto her face. *Thanks, that's cool. Good, great. Useful. Helpful. Yeah. Good. Thanks,* said Nicole. Rahiolae smiled back uncertainly and left the room.

Concern etched in his features and stance, Haldir laid a hand on the girl's shoulder and asked softly, *Are you well, Nicole?*

*Who? Me? Yeah, great, fine, splendid. Marvelous. And you?* Her words were skittish and her eyes shifted frequently and weren't in focus.

*Did you sleep at all?*

*Sure I did.* It was an obvious lie.

Haldir let it pass. If the girl was worried about something she would talk about it.

Some short time later, they were part of a host of Elves assembled at the gates of LothLorien. A group of the Eldar were accompanying their Lord and Lady out to the edge of the forest, were the Silverlode and the Anduin joined, to bid the Fellowship farewell. Once ready, they began to move out of the city and through the trees. The Fellowship had already gone ahead and was making their way towards the river, then walking along its bank, unknowing of the Elves coming to them. Nicole walked with Haldir because she didn't know most of the other Elves very well. She was wringing her hands and fiddling with the straps of the pack she carried on her back. She still hadn't said anything about what was bothering her but it seemed to be wearing away her usual strange humor.

*What bothers you?* Haldir finally asked softly, taking one of her hands so that she would stop squeezing her fingernails into her palms.

*Yes, the weather is nice today,* Nicole said without hearing the question. She unconsciously began digging her fingernails into his hand.

*Nicole.* He stepped in front of her for a moment so that she would focus on him. *What is wrong?*

Nicole gnawed her lip, unsure whether she should tell Haldir or not, since it wasn't something an Elf would particularly approve of. He took her out of the way of the traveling Elves so that they could talk without bothering anyone and rejoined the group once they were at the end of the column.

*Well?*

She took a huge breath and let it out in one jumble of words. *IdontwannagocauseIthinktheymightsaynoandIwannagowiththem, butIlooklikeanElfsotheywontknowmeanymore.*

Haldir's response took a moment. He was first trying to understand what the girl had said. *Just because you are an Elf does not make you any different than the person you were when you first arrived here. They will accept you as a friend, as always,* he reassured.

Nicole's shoulders slumped. *But Gimli... he's a Dwarf. And you don't know how weird he is with Elves. And Boromir too. I don't think they will trust me as much.*

Haldir frowned. Looking at it from the girl's point of view, he could understand her concern but he couldn't think of any way to help her with her problem.

*It'd be better if I was just a human again. But I'm not, and I can't be, unless I get a miracle, which is very unlikely. I could conceal myself and still pretend to be a human. It's not going to be hard to act like it, that's my nature. But I look so much like an Elf...* Nicole trailed off, sweeping her hands out to point out the obvious Elf clothing and features, such as pointed ears.

*No, I don't suppose that acting will be hard for you at all,* Haldir replied with a chuckle. *You are right, you do look like an Elf. If you covered your ears, and did not wear your hair in such a fashion, you might look more human,* he suggested. Before even waiting for Nicole to agree to it, he stepped behind her, but kept her walking, so that he could unbraid her hair and let if fall straight over her ears. He moved up beside the girl again, and approved the change. *That is better. But I regret to tell you that is the most you will be able to do.*

Nicole fingered her loose hair. She smiled at Haldir. *It will have to do. Thank you.* She stopped fidgeting and was happy to have Haldir lead a light conversation. _Not much I can do now. Just walk and wait. Why is it that I'm always walking or waiting? Or running... we did a lot of running before we got to LothLorien. But now it's all walking. I'm surprised my legs haven't fallen off. Although really, they can't fall off, because they're on the ground. It would be more like they become detached, and then I'd just be a torso with arms. Ick. Scary mental image... _As usual, the mental dialogue had nothing whatsoever in common with what was really going on, but somehow Nicole kept the two conversations separate.

When they finally reached the edge of the forest where the two rivers met, the Fellowship had not yet arrived and the Elves began to set up a place on the green grass where the Lord and Lady could eat the mid-day meal with the travelers. Or, in Nicole's words, "We got there, but they were late, so we sat on the grass in a good spot for a picnic." At the shore of the rivers, three boats were prepared and were being stocked for the journey. Looking at them made Nicole nervous again and she carefully approached Galadriel.

To her surprise, Galadriel laughed when Nicole tried to come up to her. *Dear Nicole, surely you are not still afraid of us?* the Lady asked, remembering the girl's actions on the first night they met.

In all honesty, this entire day Nicole had seen Celeborn and Galadriel treated as the royal and high Elves they were, and it made her aware again that she shouldn't act so familiar with them. She gave a half smile of defeat. *Ever and always. Afraid of the dark too. And spiders. And Moria... that place was creepy!* she said and shivered slightly, then remembered her train of thought. *My Lady, I wonder if the Fellowship will still allow me to continue with them. I have learned many skills this past month, but they may think that I will hinder their voyage.* _Nicely done, I'm getting better at this big-words-fancy-polite-talking thing. Pretty soon, I'll be just as enigmatic and confusing as all the other Elves! _

*Do not worry yourself, we will speak with them ere they depart,* Celeborn replied. He looked up, as did all the other Elves at a sound coming to them above the gurgling of the two rivers. *We will speak with them very soon indeed.* At his words, the Fellowship appeared at the riverside and most (except Aragorn and Legolas, because they had exceptional hearing) were surprised to see the Elves there. For their part, the Elves fell into formation (two lines lined up width-wise) behind the Lord and Lady. Nicole stood at the far side of the second line, keeping her head down to keep herself from being recognized. She wanted to listen to this exchange.

"My Lord, my Lady," Aragorn began respectfully bowing, and speaking in the Common tongue for the benefit of his companions. "We did not expect this."

"We have come to bid you farewell and to prepare you for the journey. Would you join us for the mid-day meal as the boats are readied?" Celeborn invited and gestured towards the set out eating area. They agreed and soon all the Company was seated with the Lord and Lady of Lorien, eating and chatting about the road ahead. The sun fled through the sky and an hour had passed. At around that time, Aragorn stood again and spoke.

"We thank you for your hospitality and the shelter you have given us. But it is past time that we move on."

Nicole had watched the whole picnic take place from her spot sitting on a tree root beside the boats. Now everyone began to stir and move around, both Elves and the companions walked around the camp to make sure everything was packed and ready to go. Seeing this movement, Nicole stood up quickly and shied out of the way, again to avoid being seen. Things were put together quickly and not a half hour later, the Elves had taken up the same formation (Nicole in the same spot as before), with Celeborn and Galadriel in front of them and the Fellowship facing them.

"We give you gifts now, to aid you in your quest," Galadriel said, and two Elves came up to her, arms laden with various items. "For you, Masters Peregrin and Meriadoc, belts and daggers of Elven make, strong weapons to match your bravery." The two hobbits fastened the belts around their waists and bowed in thanks. "Master Samwise, I have been told that you are interested in plant life. Thus, accept this gift so that your garden may grow ever more beautiful." Sam beamed happily and muttered some clumsy words of gratitude. "A bow of the Galadhrim, Legolas Thranduilion. May your arrows ever find their mark." The Elf's eyes lit up as he took the bow and bent gracefully. "Master Boromir, a golden belt woven by the Elves, a symbol of the fortitude of Men." Boromir accepted the gift, placed it around his waist, and thanked the Lady. "And to you, Frodo of the Shire, I give the light of Eärendil, our most beloved star. May it be a light for you when all other lights go out." And Galadriel kissed the top of his head. "Namaarië." Frodo gazed in awe at Galadriel of the Golden Wood. She turned next to Gimli, a smile playing on her lips. "And what would a Dwarf ask of an Elf?"

Gimli turned a satisfying shade of red and mumbled into his beard. "It is enough to look upon one so fair as yourself, milady. I could ask no greater gift."

Galadriel laughed. "Let it not be said that Dwarves are incapable of fair speech! Master Gimli, you are eloquent and kind, and I thank you for your company." They both bowed to one another.

Nicole observed this with interest. _He doesn't seem to mind Galadriel so much. But then again, she IS a heck of a lot nicer looking than me. Gimli probably wouldn't make another exception for little old me. _She frowned and bit her lip. _I guess I have to stay un-Elf for a while. Or forever. _That was not going to be an easy task.

At last Galadriel came to Aragorn and they shared one of those secret smiles that annoyed Nicole to no end. *Your gift has already been given, Elfstone, Elessar.* Aragorn acknowledged the Elvish words with a nod. "Is there any other gift that you would ask of me?"

The ranger shook his head. "There is nothing, milady." He paused for a second and then looked around at the company of Elves, finally turning his gaze back to Celeborn and Galadriel.

"You seek something?" Celeborn asked.

"Yes, Lord Celeborn. We came with a young woman, but have not seen her since we were parted at our first meeting in your flet. Is there anything you can tell us as to her fate?" Nicole stayed hiding behind Haldir, even though she desperately wanted to rejoin her friends. She realized that Aragorn was behaving as though he had not recognized her on the night of the ball, and was thankful (surprised too) that Legolas had kept his word.

Gimli stepped forward as well. "Aye, Nicole. I worry for the lass." Aragorn placed a hand on the Dwarf's shoulder, and then his other hand on Pippin, to hold him back when he rushed forward.

"Please, Lady Galadriel, what's happened to her? Is she well? Won't she say goodbye?" The hobbit was clearly distressed and pleaded for any information about Nicole.

The secret smile appeared again, this time between Celeborn and Galadriel. "We do have news of the Lady Nicole," Celeborn began. "She has stayed with us this past month, and brought us quite a few surprises and laughs in the process." He glanced over his shoulder, sharp eyes immediately spotting Nicole behind Haldir. Celeborn winked and turned back to Aragorn. "We would be happy to have her stay here. Although perhaps she has a few words to say on that account."

Haldir stepped away and gave the girl a gentle shove. The Fellowship saw a dark haired she-Elf come forward, with head lowered.

"Now being fully aware of the quest, and of the perils with it, the purpose of it seems clear to me," she cleared her throat nervously but kept her head down. "If you would allow it, I ask permission to continue with you on your journey." She looked up now, meeting Aragorn's gaze and straightening her back, hoping that they wouldn't laugh outright at the foolish little girl that followed them over and under mountains and into a forest.

The Elf who had addressed the Fellowship had looked up at them and met their eyes. Indeed, it was not an Elf at all, it was Nicole, but dressed as an Elf and so changed that they barely recognized her. But there was no question about what they would do with her now.

"We wouldn't have it any other way," Aragorn said with a smile. "And I do not think that any other choice would have been acceptable," he noted. Pippin had escaped Aragorn and was flitting around Nicole, oozing happiness. Gimli grinned (it looked like he grinned... you never can tell with that beard) and Boromir came to her and threw an arm around her shoulder, squeezing her lightly. The rest of the Fellowship was somewhat more restrained, or maybe less happy to see her (this being the case with a certain Elf Prince), and smiled, though still anxious to be on their way.

Nicole laughed at the attention her friends were giving her, remembering their reactions at the ball. _Funny how so much can change in such a short time. _But she also knew that even though she was leaving with her companions, she would be leaving behind a forest that had become a home. The girl turned away from her newly reunited friends and looked back at the Elves. 

*For all that you have done for me, I can't find enough words to thank you,* she said softly to Celeborn and Galadriel. *I promise that I will return, if I ever have a chance. And I'll try to be as normal an E-- as normal as I possibly can,* she adjusted the sentence with a lopsided grin. _Me, normal, NOT in the same sentence. _

The couple came closer to her, each placing a hand on one of her shoulders. *Never stop learning, young one,* said Celeborn with glimmering eyes. *But always be yourself, no matter what form you must take,* Galadriel advised. They released her as Haldir approached.

*Training will not be amusing without you. How will I amuse myself, now that you are leaving?* he teased, crossing his arms and pretending to think.

Nicole held no restraints and wrapped her arms around Haldir tightly. *It would have been nice to stay here,* she mumbled into his shoulder. Haldir gently held her.

*Yes, it would have been nice.* He held her at arms length now to properly look at her. *You know, if you keep frowning all the time, you might just pull it off,* he joked, referring to her attempted disguise. 

Nicole bit her lip and hard and punched him lightly in the shoulder. *Don't joke about it. I'm trying not to have a breakdown, your humor is not helping me.* The words were beginning to stick in her throat.

Haldir's eyes softened. *Forgive me. Jesting helps to say goodbye. You are always welcome here.* He pulled her back into an embrace now and whispered in her ear. *Just don't go getting yourself killed. And be kind to your fellow Elf.* The last part was so quiet that she barely caught it, but knew that Haldir was serious about it. They broke apart, leaving Nicole swallowing hard against the lump in her throat.

*Namaarië, my brother. Until we meet again,* she struggled to say. Haldir nodded and smiled confidently. The Fellowship stepped into the boats, ready with supplies, and Nicole tried not to complain too much when she ended up in the boat with Gimli (that was good) and Legolas (that was not good) because they only had the two of them in their boat and the others were three per boat. They pushed off from the shore and began to paddle out into the merging of the Silverlode and Anduin. They looked back at the receding shore and at the Elves still standing there and bidding them farewell.

The Company was silent until they rounded a bend in the river and the Elves and the land of LothLorien disappeared from sight. In that instant, it was like a spell had come over Nicole in the woods and had made her much more serious than usual. Now, beyond the realm of Lorien, the spell was lifted and Nicole was just a normal, crazy girl again.

"Alright, gang! Who practiced their singing voices? On three, ready? One, two, three! _ Row, row, row your boat, gently down the stream! Merrily, merrily, merrily, merrily, life is like a dream! Row, row, row, your boat, gently down the stream! If you see a crocodile, don't forget to scream!_" Nicole pouted when she saw that she was the only one singing her marvelous song. The occupants of all three boats were staring at her. "Whatever it is, I didn't do it!" she immediately said in her defense.

They shook their heads, smiling at the crazed girl. "There's nothing quite like being back on the move, and having Nicole with us again," Merry commented.

"Quite right, Master Meriadoc! I'm glad you see things my way!" she replied enthusiastically over the water. The Company kept giving her strange looks anyways, but Nicole took it as nothing more than the usual confused glare or eye-brow raising thing.

Legolas was the one to clear up the whole staring issue. *You speak now with a slight accent,* he told her. *It seems to unnerve them, to see that you have changed.* He remarked this as he glanced at the boat on the left, with Boromir, Merry, and Pippin in it.

Nicole pulled her long hair down more, practically yanking it out of her scalp. *That's not that bad,* she replied, remembering to be civil. *I can just stay quiet. Not too hard, I suppose.* She heard Legolas suppress a laugh behind her. Gimli, sitting at the front of their boat, had not heard the whispered Elvish conversation. Suddenly Nicole felt the urge to talk to Gimli about the possible mining potential of Moria. She bit her tongue. _Or I could talk to Merry and try to get him to talk some sense into Pippin. _ Nicole gnawed her tongue harder. _Maybe Frodo could tell me about Bilbo's book. Or I could talk to Boromir about Gondor: seems like a nice place. _By this time, her teeth had bitten into her tongue and she tasted blood in her mouth. She gingerly opened her mouth and touched two fingers to her tongue. As expected, red blood stained her skin. Nicole frowned, then crossed her arms. She shifted her position in the boat and began tapping her fingers.

_I can't do this I can't do this I can't do this. Calm down, breathe, it's ok. All I have to do is not talk. I CAN'T!!! I need to talk about something, anything, everything. Must not talk. Must not talk. Must not talk. Must not talk. Nah, I don't like that. Too boring... how about...? I'll never tell, I'll never tell, I'll never tell, I'll never tell, I'll never tell, I'll never tell, I'll never tell..._

And so passed the first day of travel on the Anduin, with Nicole desperately trying to keep her mouth shut and be civil to Legolas at the same time. Good luck to her. Her quest stands upon the edge of a knife too, but since we all know (from previous training scene in which she had to stand on a balance beam and ended up falling off), Nicole doesn't have very good balance, so her quest is going to fail.

**A/N: And there you have it! I finished it all by myself, and I'm leaving my precious computer in a few hours, never to return again... or at least, never to return in a week. *Does gollum imitation and coughs up hair ball* you cant takes it from us, no, no, precious, no! It's ours! They tries to steals it from us, but we wont let them! It's mine... my... preciousssss....**

**Ok, enough of that. Sorry about this chapter being horrendously short when compared with the previous one, but I hope it's still OK for ya'll. Be kind, review. please? It'll be a gift from you to me! Review! ~MoI~**


	20. A Broke Down Kind of Day

**A/N: I hate this chapter. Nothing more to say. Oops, I was wrong: just one thing: thanks to all the reviewers because I finally have FIFTY reviews. yay. Keep it up! :) I hate this chapter anyways. :( You'll see why.**

**Disclaimer: Honestly, Lord of the Rings isn't mine. Isn't that obvious by now???? **

**Home Sweet Home**

**Chapter Twenty ~ A Broke Down Kind of Day**

For ten days they traveled by boat along the Anduin. During that time, three things happened.

**(A) **They discovered that Gollum was following them.

"We are not alone," Frodo whispered one night when they made camp on shore.

"No," confirmed Aragorn and kept a sharp eye on the lookout. "Gollum has been on our trail since we left Lothlorien. It is a strange thing that I once hunted him and now he comes after us freely." He smiled, evidently remembering some adventure and others before it. "Rest now, we must continue early tomorrow morning."

Nicole shivered when she saw a pair of eyes blinking from the weeds a way off. She turned her back on the two points of light and faced their small campfire. "Ugh. If he has to stalk us, can't he do it without being so obvious? Do you realize that we are being _watched _all the time? That's so _creepy_."

Nobody disagreed with her, but nobody openly concurred either. They were too tired to do much of anything except bed down and fall asleep. For Nicole, the process of going to sleep took longer because,

**(B) **Nicole had to learn how to conceal her Elfness.

Nicole was in better spirits at the end of the first day out of Lothlorien than at the beginning of that day. She had managed to get Pippin, Merry, Frodo, and Sam to sing, and even Boromir contributed a verse or two. Nicole herself didn't sing (because she got strange glances when she talked), but tried to encourage the others as much as possible. So her good mood was something that she didn't want to ruin. So much for that plan.

*Pull up your hood,* Legolas told her as the evening grew cold and dark.

_Dammit, I was hoping that he wouldn't talk to me. Be nice, _Nicole had to remind herself. *I don't want to, I'm not cold.* _That will do, I guess, _sighed Nicole mentally. It wasn't easy being nice.

*I will not reveal who you are, but it seems to be a pointless task if you choose to reveal yourself,* he hissed in her ear.

Nicole balled her fists and fought off the many insults she could throw at the prissy Elf Prince now. Instead she replied, as nicely as she could manage, *What is that supposed to mean?* She turned around in the boat so that she was facing the Elf. Dimly she was aware that he glowed faintly while the others were nearly invisible in the darkness.

He glared back at her. _Apparently that glare is something you learn in Elf school, but they must've run out of time to teach me, _Nicole huffed. *It means that unless you cover your face and hands, they will see that you are of my race before you have a chance to blatantly deny it again. That would be counter-productive to your goal. I will not remind you,* he finished then turned to the boat on their right side._ Starboard side, maties, _Nicole thought, an absent-minded pirateness taking a momentary hold of her unruly brain. "We should make camp," the Elf called to Aragorn and they began to steer the boats towards the western shore.

Nicole got the distinct impression that she had just been rudely dismissed. Earlier, she had put her pack in front of her and presently she dug through it, hoping that maybe Rahiolae had stuck a pair of gloves in one of the many pockets.

Gimli felt her scrambling behind him. "Is there something you're searching for, lass?"

"Yeah, I was hoping they'd be in here. Maybe I could borrow a pair from somebody. Sorry, I'll stop squirming around in a second. I have to find-- ha, got 'em!" Nicole whipped a pair of soft leather gloves out with a flourish. "Gloves!"

"Aye, there's still a chill in the air. We will make a fire at our camp and take some food to eat as well."

"Cool," Nicole mumbled. She was distracted by trying to pull on her gloves and pull up her hood at the same time. The girl had just realized that her skin was glowing noticeably and she wanted to get covered before anyone else saw her luminescence. But still, her stomach could not be denied._ Food and fire sound unbelievably good right now. _ After eating normally (i.e., as often as wanted: breakfast, lunch, supper, and the occasional 3 am snack), Nicole now had to go back on travel rations (i.e., small breakfast, small supper). _Maybe if I think about it as a diet, I won't feel so HUNGRY. Yeah. Sure. I'm starving myself on purpose, because I need to lose weight. Wait... that doesn't work, does it? Elves are perfect, they don't need to lose weight. Which probably means they don't get hungry either. I'm sure they get hungry sometimes. But it's probably because I haven't eaten since-- since-- sometime yesterday. Skipped breakfast and the picnic today. No wonder I'm hungry. Hm. Maybe there's a song about food... _This promoted an outburst of song (very off key) from Nicole.

"I like chicken, I like liver, Meow Mix Meow Mix, please deliver!" Her efforts were not appreciated. She pouted. "Fine, we WON'T sing songs about cat food." Nicole puzzled over finding another food song for a minute, and then burst into song again. "My baloney has a first name, it's O-S-C-A-R! My baloney has a second name, it's M-A-Y-E-R! When people ask me why I like it I always SAAAAAAY..... It's 'cause Oscar Mayer has a way with B-O-L-O-G-N-A!!!! Ow!" Her second song hadn't gotten great reviews either, but by now they were getting on to the shore. As they disembarked, Legolas 'accidentally' shifted the boat as he got out, so that when Nicole was half-way out, the rim of the boat had dug into her ankle. Reminding herself again of Haldir's request, the she-Elf stayed silent. When the boats were properly hidden, Aragorn snagged Nicole's attention for a moment, to talk to her.

Which brings us to:

**(C) **Nicole stopped singing pointless songs.

"Hey Aragonite, what's up?" Nicole asked when he caught her attention.

Not unusual for people when they talked with Nicole, the ranger looked a little uncomfortable. "Perhaps it would be best if you-- refrained from singing," he suggested, basically saying 'shut up' in a really nice way.

Nicole raised an eyebrow. Two possibilities formed in her mind, and she immediately knew which one was true. _I might as well check the honesty of this Dunadan while I'm at it. _"That's a very interesting suggestion. Are you saying that because I might make too much noise and give away our position to possible predators? Or are you saying it because I'm annoying everybody practically to tears?" A corner of her mouth quirked upwards in a smile, but she was partly insulted by the request. _My voice isn't THAT horrible._

Their leader shook his head with a rueful grin. "I see there is no escaping you, is there? Very well. Do you want the honest answer, or the polite answer?"

Nicole replied with mock shock. "Honesty, of course!"

At this point, Aragorn was having trouble looking at Nicole.

"Ah. I see," she said knowingly. She lowered her voice to a barely audible whisper. *I suppose not all Elves are gifted with beautiful voices.* She was glad to see that Aragorn took it as much as a joke as Nicole seemed to. But in truth, she wasn't very happy. Even if her choice of music had not been the best, and she wasn't particularly trying to sing well, Nicole had never been one to react well to any comments on her singing voice. But she obliged, and didn't sing again in the presence of the Company for a long time.

So for ten days, since the day out from Lorien to the day when they reached Rauros Falls, Nicole tried to be as un-annoying as possible. This wasn't much better than her usual behaviour, but at least she had stopped singing. Pippin was nearly heart-broken that Nicole hadn't switched to his boat on the second day, but she had assured him it was only because of the weight distribution and lack of room on the boats. His affection for her hadn't abated, though Nicole was getting used to it and thought of it as cute and bothersome. Nicole noted, with great sadness, that Boromir frequently glanced towards the boat of Aragorn, Sam, and Frodo. She knew what he was always thinking about, even when he talked about other things. Her own time was not spent in a complete waste. Knowing it was a selfish thing to do, but being unwilling to let the Ring control her brother just yet, Nicole started to form a plan, and vowed to stick to it.

And then came that last day, when Aragorn told them all about the Argonath as they steered the light and agile Lorien boats onto a rocky shore. Nicole had heard the faint heavy footfalls just as Legolas had, and both Elves turned simultaneously to Aragorn to tell him about the threat. "It is not safe here," they said in unison and followed it up by glaring at each other.

Legolas elaborated the statement by adding, "It is not the eastern shore that worries me." Aragorn nodded, and Nicole took this opportunity to slink away unnoticed.

A moment later, Merry made an observation. "Where's Frodo?" Sam jumped up, no doubt immediately cursing himself for leaving his friend's side. The leader of the Fellowship glanced around the camp, finding that Boromir's shield was left unattended beside the roots of a great tree. 

Pippin glanced around hurriedly and also realized how inattentive he had been. "Where is Nicole?" he asked, pain lacing his voice, as well as guilt.

Nicole had scampered off into the forest, trailing about a minute or two behind Frodo and Boromir. She began twisting her hands in the fabric of her cloak nervously. She seemed to be doing that a lot lately. Leaning against a tree for support and comfort, she sighed heavily and waited for the opportune moment. _I wish I could go back to being the old me. I used to be crazy, and happy, and completely insane. But now... _her fist connected forcefully with the rough bark of the tree trunk. _That stupid quest is ruining us all. We're serious and quiet. Each day we draw more into ourselves. How do we live like this? We need idiocy and normal laughter just as much as the next person. It's not fair. _The girl sagged with defeat. There was no way this was going to work. It was hopeless. Here she was, beating herself up about all this stuff she had to deal with, when not two weeks ago in Lorien Galadriel, Celeborn and Haldir had reminded her of who she was, what she had chosen to do, and to have faith and hope in herself. Nicole couldn't discard their words so quickly: if she did, she'd never have the courage to show her face in Lorien again. At that moment, rustling leaves ahead and slightly to the right made her ears perk and head snap up. She took off at a sprint, hoping that she hadn't waited too long. Frodo was already climbing up the hill and she looked in that direction for a moment, trying to find the invisible hobbit. There was nothing for it now: the quest would be his alone. Wishing him a silent good luck, Nicole sped towards the noise.

Boromir was on his knees, shoulders slumped, spare bits of dirt and leaves clinging to his clothing and hair. Nicole drew a shuddery breath when she saw him looking so defeated. The infallible future Steward of Gondor. Gathering her wits (as few as they were), she approached him silently and placed a gentle hand on his shoulder.

He looked up at her with saddened eyes. "And what of me now? I have failed my self, the quest, my father, failed everyone..." his voice was rough with emotion and he turned away from her, shrugging off her hand.

Those words nearly brought tears to Nicole's eyes. How could he say such things? She moved in front of him, kneeling to be on eye-level with him. Knowing that right now, he could either listen to her or get really angry really fast, she tentatively tipped his chin so that he met here gaze. "Listen to me, my brother," she began as kindly as she could.

He stood and strode a few paces away. "Listen?" he snarled. "What do you know of my troubles? The people of your land are far removed from Middle-Earth. The darkness of Sauron will not reach you. I must act now, and I tried. I have failed in my responsibilities and will be shunned by my people. I will be known as the one who brought ruin to Gondor." Boromir's voice broke on the last sentence and he angrily kicked at the base of a tree.

As much as she tried, Nicole couldn't hold back any more. Biting her lip hard, she willed the tears to remain unshed. It didn't work. She stayed sitting amongst the leaves. "I may not know of the troubles of your lands, but I have seen the troubles of many others in Middle Earth," she said softly, wincing at how broken her voice came out. "I know the pain of responsibility, I know the pain of expectations and constrictions." Her voice deteriorated and she took a moment to steady herself. Boromir hadn't spoken yet but appeared to be attentive. "As for your failures... you have realized that you made a mistake. You see that you cannot be perfect, still you strive for it." She rose from her seat and finally came to him. Her hand shook as she lightly touched his bent shoulder. He did not turn around so she spoke to his back. "You have failed no one, Boromir of Gondor, brother," she whispered. Nicole could only hope that her words did not fall on deaf ears. She lowered her hand and drew away. His silence made her believe the worst.

A moment of silence followed. The girl gained some control over her tears and the man stood indifferent and silent. When he spoke, he meant it to be difficult to hear, but the Elf picked it up. "I would believe your words, but your voice betrays you. I can hear that you do not believe them, that you believe I have failed you," he barely whispered, still facing the tree.

Nicole choked and couldn't find the will to form words. Determined, desperate to make him understand, she forced him to turn around by grabbing his shoulders. The tears did not fall again, but staring into Boromir's grey eyes, now turbulent, gave her a bit of strength. Nicole tried to smile and softly moved a piece of his hair out of his eyes. "You will never fail me," she said slowly, each word difficult to pronounce. At last, she saw acceptance in his eyes and the slight straightening of his figure. He smiled back as she gripped his arm tightly in reassurance. The threat of the Uruk-hai was fast approaching and Nicole had just heard their loud and cumbersome footfalls very close by. "It would be an honour to fight beside you," she grinned, released his arm, and readied her bow.

The foul Uruk's charged through the forest, breaking anything in their way. Nicole fired shots as quickly as targets presented themselves. All of her training and technique had flown out of her mind and she moved on pure instincts. In a matter of seconds, the creatures were too close for archery. Stowing away her bow, the Elf unsheathed the two long knives at her hips. Whirling and slashing at every opportunity, Nicole found herself completely surrounded by opponents and being pushed back further into the woods, separated from Boromir and any aid. Her face remained impassive and her movements all fatal, but her eyes darted around her and she swallowed hard. There was no way she was going to get out of here, she was far outnumbered. The Uruk-hai were just playing with her. Panic filled her system and spurred her on, she was far from tired. They had cornered her and her strokes were yielding less damage. It was painfully obvious that they wanted only to wear her out.

One of her captors had grown tired of this useless slashing and pushed her roughly to the ground. The air was knocked out of her lungs as she fell to the dirt-covered forest floor. Her heart beat wildly: she had fallen, what hope could there be now? She was flipped carelessly onto her back and a heavy boot placed on her chest, crushing her lungs. Nicole struggled to draw breath and wondered how much longer an Elf could last without air when compared to a human. The Uruk-hai stepping on her leaned down and sneered at her, the stench coming off of him making Nicole want to gag.

He grinned and displayed horrid, black, uneven teeth. Speaking to his comrades in a harsh voice, he said, "This one's a female. What say we have some fun with her?" The gang cheered heartily and closed in on her. 

Nicole couldn't get air into her system at all and was now faced with the very real and physical problem of twelve or thirteen Uruk-hai's about to use her for their pleasure in the worst possible way. It was a horrible way to die. In her hands she still held her knives. Moving her left hand so that the blade was at a better angle to her heart, she bitterly thought, _It would be better to die by my own hand than like this. _

Their black hands reached for her, eager to destroy her and defile her. The one who had spoken grabbed her neck so tightly that black spots swam in front of her vision. "Do you have a scream for us, Elf?" he snarled, pushing aside her hair and showing his friends her pointed ears. They cheered all the more loudly. Angry at her lack of response, the leader shook her hard and let her fall back to the ground. Her head was pounding and her ribcage nearly vibrating with the quick thrumming of her heart. 

"You'll be screamin' before the end." He bent to rip off her coat but stopped midway and straightened again sharply. A sick gargling noise could be heard and Nicole could barely see the edge of an arrowhead sticking out of his chest. 

The Uruk-hai had been shot down by an archer hidden in the trees and fell backwards, relieving the pressure on Nicole's abdomen. The rest of the gang was stunned and stared dumbly at their fallen leader. Knowing that she had precious little time, Nicole scrambled to her feet and shoved her knives back into their sheaths. The sudden restoration of oxygen to her body left her reeling and off balance. She tried to ignore it and jumped up to grab a tree branch and climb to safety. Her hands gripped the tree limb but her reaction had not been fast enough. One of the Uruk-hai strung his crossbow and fired. Nicole's grip slipped and she cried out in pain when the arrow sliced across her right shoulder. 

Feeling her fingers shift dangerously, a final terrified thought flitted through her mind. _So this is how I die... I trained so hard before leaving Lorien. I asked for it. _Her body was ready to let go and just succumb to the inevitable but someone was not in accordance with that plan. Strong arms grabbed a hold of her and hauled her onto the thick branch. Nicole closed her eyes and took a deep breath to calm down. She felt somebody quickly tying a bandage over her shoulder and looked up to see Legolas tending to her. Confusion showed on her face, she was too tired to mask her emotions. *What?* the question was half-formed before Legolas cut her off.

*Stay here and leave the fighting to Aragorn, Boromir, Gimli and I,* he commanded, finishing the bandage.

Nicole snapped back to attention, all pain gone now. _Boromir... _she was jumping from branch to branch within a second, leaving behind Legolas. Several trees away, she dropped to the ground and ran hard in the direction where her ears were telling her Boromir was. She slashed with her knives at all opponents that got in her way, seeing Boromir, Merry and Pippin close by. When she finally reached Boromir, all she could see of the hobbits was the tops of their heads as they were carried away, kicking and screaming, by the Uruk-hai. She longed to help them and Boromir, but knew she could not accomplish both. 

Nicole dropped to her knees in front of the wounded Boromir. Two ugly arrows protruded from his chest. A third was meant for him, but Nicole had gotten in the way. Thankfully, it did not get embedded in her flesh, it grazed her left shin. Even this fresh injury did not bother her. The pain of seeing Boromir so badly injured hurt far more. The last of the Uruk-hai came to the two, crossbow ready with an arrow aimed at Boromir's heart. Nicole shifted her position so that she was kneeling and protecting Boromir, leaving herself facing the black arrow. For the third time in such a short span, her heart pounded wildly. Instead of getting second thoughts about what a stupid girl she had been to get herself here, she stayed exactly where she was because she knew it was the only place for her.

The Uruk growled in frustration, but was not bothered with killing two people instead of just one. It was simply an inconvenience. "Move."

The girl clenched her jaw in determination. "No," she replied stonily. His fingers tightened on the trigger of the bow. "Leave him be, foul creature!" she spat out furiously. Nicole didn't blink as the Uruk-hai aimed for her chest, or as he grinned terribly. She flinched as suddenly the creature was knocked down by a blur of dark brown and flashing steel. The young Elf inhaled sharply, realizing it was Aragorn and that the danger was temporarily removed.

A gasp behind her made her turn. Boromir was badly wounded: mortally wounded. Tears rapidly gathered in her eyes as she pulled Boromir into her lap, cradling his head. "I'm so sorry," she whispered around a lump in her throat. Not caring anymore about potential discovery, she tugged off her gloves and gently brushed his dirtied hair from his face. Her fingers trembled and she bent to kiss the top of his head. "I should have stayed by your side, Boromir, I'm sorry," she rasped. Her heart was breaking in two. _So much for my brilliant plan. I was supposed to stay beside him all the time, and make sure he didn't get shot, and that he lived. But he's dying anyways, and I don't want him to go, because then who will I trust? Who will be my friend? Who will protect me? _A shuddery breath put air in her lungs. _Who will love me? _By now, emotions were raging in her heart and she could hardly control herself. The tears streaming down her cheeks blurred her vision and didn't make her see her currently enhanced, Elven glow. Her fingers stayed entwined in his golden hair. "Don't leave me, brother. Take me with you. I don't want to be alone," her words were said with the desperate tone of a child pleading for comfort.

Through his pain, Boromir found the strength to comfort her. His fingers lightly touched her wet cheek. "Don't cry," he choked out with great difficulty. "Be as you were... be Nicole." The man smiled at her tenderly. As Aragorn leapt to them after his battle, the first thing he did was assess the injuries and tried to remove the arrows even though it was futile. Boromir pushed the ranger's hands away and they began speaking but Nicole was too far gone in her grief to hear anything being said. The best she could do was to hold Boromir and try to keep him calm in her arms. Her whole body was trembling when she finally felt Boromir become still and Aragorn bowed his head in respect. She couldn't bear it anymore. Aragorn spoke final words of blessing for the departed, and Legolas and Gimli arrived too late and greatly saddened. Nicole placed her dead brother's head on the ground with as much reverence as possible and then dashed off into the trees.

"We must make preparations for a proper burial," Aragorn yelled after her sadly in an attempt to bring her back. He turned to Legolas for advice.

"We may use a Lorien boat, and send him off into the Anduin so that he may be protected by the waters of his people," the Elf replied, then turned his gaze in the direction the girl had fled. He knew Aragorn didn't know what to do and wanted the Elf to go catch her because he doubted that anyone else could. Personally, the Elf Prince was ready to do anything but that, and thought that the girl would need some time to deal with the death. "It would be best to leave her in peace, Estel, for now," he told him.

Nicole didn't hear their words, she was too busy running through the ancient forest. Branches whipped her limbs and face, and despite her Elven qualities, she tripped over tree roots occasionally. Not particularly caring that the bandage on her shoulder had not only been soaked through, but also half-torn off, or that her shin was still bleeding from the black-feathered arrow, Nicole just ran, as far and as fast as her feet could get her away. When she grew tired of the ground, she bounded into a tree, whirled herself upwards on the branch and found that her legs were stable amongst the tree tops, more than on the ground. She jumped and swung herself from branch to branch, wearing herself out physically, but constantly heading in one direction. This tree, jump to that tree, reach for that branch, land over there, and then she was perched on a sturdy wooden offshoot from the main trunk of a large tree. 

Before her spread the vast lake that emptied itself over Rauros Falls and continued along the Anduin heading south. Nearly on the other shore of this lake was a small boat being rowed by two small creatures. The hobbits. Frodo had gone off to Mordor, Sam followed him, and they went into danger to carry on the Quest. The She-Elf's heart wished them a silent good-luck, but she had not yet regained her voice. Away across the water went one part of the Fellowship.

Heading swiftly towards the plains of Rohan and the Westfold, and eventually to Isenguard, the troop of Uruk-hai ran with the heavy pounding of feet. In their possession were another two Halflings, the youngest of all, Merry and Pippin. Nicole surprised herself with the emotions she felt at that thought. Pippin would be alone, just him and Merry, and she had gotten attached to the two troublemakers (and her admirer). If anything happened to them, there was a very good chance that the girl would devise some plan to assassinate Saruman. Her hopes went with those two little creatures, to make it to safety somehow and not to lose their levity and good humour. Through woods and over grass ran another part of the Company.

Directly below her stood a Dwarf, a Man, and an Elf. These, at least, had not yet fallen apart. They sought to reunite those of the Fellowship that were still within reach. At the moment, they prepared something else, and as soon as their task was done they would follow the trail of the captured hobbits. Their current task was a sombre one.

On the rocky shore below the trees, in a boat from the land of Elves, laden with armour, sword, shield, and Horn of Gondor, lay Boromir. He was the first to be taken by the Ring, but also admitted that he was wrong. His redemption came to him when he fought for the protection of his companions. The Man of Gondor, the future Steward of Gondor, the brother of heart to Nicole, was dead. The waves of water softly lapped at the boat, which was still beached, as though welcoming the passenger and promising a voyage to home. 

Bitterly, Nicole thought, _This is the end. No more Fellowship. No more wonderful plan. No more strength in numbers. Somebody once said, divided they fall. For the sake of Middle Earth, I hope that person was wrong. _Nicole could have readily given up on this quest and returned to Lorien, but remembering Boromir's words, she couldn't find the will to carry out that plan. _Be as you were... Be Nicole... _the words flitted through her mind. Crazy, wild, old Nicole would have followed the members of the Fellowship wherever they went, and not gotten discouraged by this battle. She missed old Nicole. With that, she made a promise. For Boromir, Nicole would stick with the Company and would try to return to her normal self. Softly letting out her breath, the tears finally stopped and her heart rate slowed.

Clear voices crept to her sensitive ears. The three companions who were by the boat were singing a lament to their fallen friend. When the last note died away, they still stood unmoving, hesitant to push the boat into open water. A fleeting idea danced through her thoughts, inspired by the song of the others. Memories came to her uninvited. Boromir was the first person to defend her when everyone thought she was a spy. He had always played along with whatever insane activity Nicole was doing, be it snowball fights or making a traveling singing group. He offered his help and comfort during the journey through Moria. And he had been good, in the end. It was better to remember his good qualities, and in fact, they far outweighed his bad qualities. In spite of the heartache, a small smile tugged at her lips. Thinking about all Boromir had been to her, and taking advantage of the silence of the others, she began. Without a moments thought, Nicole threw away her promise to Aragorn not to sing again. When the words came to her, her voice was pure and strong, a different voice entirely, and it might as well have been the first time Nicole had ever sung.

"_Remember the good times, that we had.  
Don't let them slip away from us when things got bad  
Clearly I first saw you, smiling in the sun  
I feel your warmth around me  
I want to be the one_

_ I will remember you  
Will you remember me?  
Don't let your life pass you by  
Weep not for the memories_

_ I'm so tired I can't sleep  
standing on the edge of something much too deep.  
Funny how we feel so much but cannot say the words.  
We are screaming inside oh but we cant be heard_

_ I will remember you  
Will you remember me?  
Don't let your life pass you by  
Weep not for the memories_

_ So afraid to love you, more afraid to lose  
Clinging to the past that doesn't let me choose.  
Once there was a darkness, a deep and endless night.  
You gave me everything you had oh you gave me light._

_ I will remember you  
Will you remember me?  
Don't let your life pass you by  
Weep not for the memories  
Weep not for the memories."  
_

Nicole wiped the back of her hand against her cheek where a stray tear had gone. But she felt a lot better, her heart was lighter, and she thought that she would be able to continue now, and be able to find herself. Suddenly aware of her surroundings again, she saw that Boromir's funeral boat had been pushed off finally, and was on it's way over the Falls of Rauros. Turning her gaze back to the shore below her, Nicole noticed that she had an audience. The three males weren't openly staring up at the tree she was sitting in, but from stance it was apparent that they had been listening to her. She stretched her legs out in front of her and her arms above her head. Then she swung herself off the branch and landed silently behind Aragorn. He half-glanced behind his shoulder.

"We cannot abandon Merry and Pippin to torment or death," he said sternly. "Take only what you need. We travel light. Let's hunt some Orc."

The Dwarf, Elf and Man grinned at each other, already feeling the thrill of the chase. Nicole took a moment to grab her pack as Gimli secured his axe and Legolas picked up some spent arrows. Then, feeling her old spirit quickly returning to her, she made a proclamation. "Let's go, gang! We've gotta slice them, dice them, and stick those Uruk-hai in a stew!!!!"

Ignoring the usual stares, Nicole grinned madly and ran after Aragorn. _It's good to be back..._

  


  


**A/N: I really don't like this chapter. *pouts* If you want to make me feel better, please leave a review. I don't care if it's good or bad. Hopefully the next chapter will see some NORMAL Nicole behaviour. That is... unless... you LIKED her this way? Please tell me! Happy New Year! ~MoI~**

**Disclaimer: I realize now that I should have added this at the top, but I'm too lazy. The song is "I Will Remember You" and it's by Sarah McLachlan.**

**Review! Criticism is appreciated!**


	21. Colors of Crazy

**A/N: I finished the first book! Now on to the Two Towers! Thank you so much for the reviews! It looks like that chapter was pretty popular. I want to get right into the next chapter, so all replies to reviews are at the bottom. Read on! ~MoI~**

**Disclaimer: Lord of the Rings never was, is not, and never will be, mine. :P But I did buy a copy of the Silmarillion, does that count? Also, sadly, the only person that belongs to me is Nicole. But she's pretty much useless. If you want her, please e-mail me... I'll start the bidding at 5 cents. ;)**

**Home Sweet Home**

**Chapter Twenty-One ~ Colors of Crazy**

Nicole had changed, physically, mentally, and grammatically. The first time they stopped (for a grand total of fifteen minutes), she repacked her pack. Now all that was left of her pack was... nothing, actually. She had removed a little bit of each of the medicinal herbs and stuck them in the many pockets of her jacket. Her gloves had gotten lost after the battle when she was tending to Boromir. Nicole didn't miss them all that much and tried to focus on keeping her 'glow' down to a minimum or pulling her hands inside her sleeves. She felt horrible for leaving behind all the tunics and shirts and the other set of clothing that Rahiolae had given her, and for a while she hugged the pack tightly to her chest and refused to give it up.

"Nicole, we must go!" Aragorn insisted, and tried to pry it from her fingers. She stubbornly shook her head. "Would you rather carry around your pack and lag behind, or run swiftly to save Pippin and Merry?" Nicole bit her lip and looked away, it was a tough choice. "Nicole, let go of the pack," Aragorn insisted one last time. She glared at him and handed it over.

"Fine, take away my last piece of sanity. Do you realize that among the clean clothes and useful plants, my only hope of ever SEEMING normal went away???? DO YOU?" she pestered Aragorn, and then huffed off to sulk. In the end, Aragorn allowed her to change her clothes before they moved on and put some of the plants into her coat.

The mental change was obvious: Nicole had forsaken all Elf-ness in hopes of being herself, and also in hopes that Gimli wouldn't notice anything unusual about her. This included using bad grammar, phrases that didn't make sense (even to Nicole), and acting as much of an idiot as possible. But there were still her ears to worry about... the day when they stopped (it was the ONLY day they stopped, and it was the first day of running), they paused beside a stream of running water. Making sure that the Dwarf wasn't close by, Nicole dunked her head into the water. Then she quickly wrung it out and twisted her long hair (it was getting ridiculously long: waist-length and still growing) into a tight bun at the base of her neck, keeping her ears covered by her hair. Pulling her hood over her head, she spent the next few days trying to hide from Gimli.

That was a lot harder than she expected. Since Aragorn was striding ahead of her, and Legolas was nancing in front of Aragorn, Nicole chose to trundle with Gimli. (_A/N: I don't know which fanfic author first used the words nancing and trundling, but you are a genius! thank you!_). And it was far easier to keep up with the Dwarf than running along with the Man and Elf. Besides, her shin was tightly bandaged now, along with her shoulder, and she preferred to take a slower pace until she got a bit better. Gimli was getting pretty far behind now, and Nicole glanced worriedly at the distant shapes of Aragorn and Legolas. _Time for some cheesy inspirational music... _she thought.

She started humming the Rocky theme song and ran in circles around Gimli. "Whoo hoo! C'mon Gimli! You can do it! Run! Run, Forrest, Run!" she cheered on. Gimli laughed at the insane girl and kept running even though he was panting heavily. They began to catch up to their companions. 

Looking our across the plain, Legolas commented, "They run as though the very whips of their masters were behind them."

Nicole raised an eyebrow. _Who exactly is he talking to? Maybe he has an invisible friend... I wouldn't be surprised if his invisible friend happened to look exactly like him, be named Legolas, and be perfect, constantly complimenting the real Legolas. _She snorted her laughter. "Ain't that the truth?" she asked nobody in particular, and then her face fell. _Dammit, Nicole, you do the exact same thing he does! Pointless words said to nobody... well, at least yours are amusing. He's just strange. _

They ran from sunrise to sunset, from moonrise to moonset. The girl gave up on counting days, all she knew was that her feet had been pounding the ground for a long, long, long time. And there was nothing around her to amuse herself with. Just grass, some rocks, some hills, and the three hunters. _They probably wouldn't want to play Name-That-Rock with me, _Nicole grumbled. 

"Do you feel the need to burn, burn, burn off all that holiday fat?!" Nicole began with her best telemarketing voice. "If you answered yes to that question, than have WE got the solution for YOU! Just listen closely, and I'll tell you the secret to get rid of unwanted weight FAST!" She lowered her voice to a stage whisper. "All you have to do is RUN YOUR ASS OFF WITH THREE CRAZY DUDES WHO ARE FOLLOWING A TRAIL ON SOLID ROCK FOR NO GOOD REASON!!!" Nicole glared at them when they turned around to glare at her for shouting so loudly. She stuck her tongue out at them and pouted, stopping where she stood.

"Is there a problem, Nicole?" Gimli asked tensely. The girl's jaw was set and if looks could kill--

"Damn straight!" she burst out. They stared at her: they didn't know what the words meant, but they didn't seem words of incredible joy. The air around her nearly crackled. This was one ticked off girl. It was lucky that it was sunny today, or else her glow would have been noticeable. "You guys are rich, aren't you? Aragorn, have you forgotten who you become? That job comes with money, amigo! _Prince _ Legolas, you're loaded because you own a damn forest! And Gimli, Dwarf. Your people dig to find mithril, gold, and silver. That has money involved too! YOU ALL HAVE MONEY!!!"

"Aye..." replied Gimli uncertainly. He and his companions began to slowly back away from the girl.

"AND??? You have money, we're in a country where they like horses and have lots of them...." she stared at them, wondering when they would catch on. They didn't catch on fast enough. "Can't we BUY horses? And stop running? PLEASE?"

They stood there, _blinking_ at her. "No," Aragorn replied simply.

"ARGH!" Nicole yelled and stomped her foot down in frustration. They calmly turned away from her and began a light jog in the general direction where they thought the Uruk-hai were traveling. Gimli paused for a moment to pat her arm and then started off after them, reminding himself to breathe.

Nicole stood where she was, arms crossed, and stared as they ran away from her. She sighed softly. _I know I promised Borry that I would help save the world, but who knew it would be this boring? _She sniffled a little when she thought of Boromir. _We had some good times, me and Borry. But he told me to be Nicole. Nicole wouldn't be standing here. Nicole would run after them and yell some sarcastic remark at the haggard Ranger, the snobby Elf prince, and the reliable Dwarf. _ Nicole bit her lip indecisively. Reluctantly, she dropped her arms. "Thank you for listening and comforting me in my moment of suffering," she shouted at the now-distant figures. _No response. Huh. Fine. Be that way. _Nicole broke into a sprint and ran lightly over the terrain towards them.

And then kept running... and running... and running... and running... for a really long time. _How terribly interesting, I just can't tear my attention away from this constant running, _Nicole commented dryly. _Looks like it's time for another installment of Crazy Things Done By Nicole. _She crackled her knuckles and twisted her neck from side to side. _Let's see if this Elven body comes with any gymnastics knowledge. _The small (miniscule, really) voice of reason in Nicole's head spoke up quietly. _You never took any gymnastics classes, and you can barely do a somersault or a cartwheel. Maybe you should do something... safer... and... saner? _Nicole grinned and shoved the voice out of her head. She paused for a second, allowing herself to fall behind her fellow runners, so that if she tripped and fell, it wouldn't be so embarrassing. _But you're injured! _the small voice protested weakly. "Oh, shut your mouth," Nicole muttered under her breath. She judged the distance from the others and nodded to herself. The Elf took a running start, and then flipped her weight forward onto her hands. As if acting under its own commands, and ignoring Nicole completely, her body vaulted and spun through the air, doing a phenomenal display of gymnastics with moves that had names that Nicole couldn't pronounce. She landed shakily on her feet again and tottered uncertainly.

"Cool," she said in a wobbly voice, and moved as though to try it again. A sharp pain in her wrist made her stop. She rolled her eyes and groaned. _Stupid wrist. Go ahead, get sprained, like I CARE!!! YOU'RE ONLY ATTACHED TO MY BODY!!!! _She pouted again (her new favorite pastime). 

"Are you alright, lass?" Gimli shouted back to her, seeing her cradling her wrist.

"Fine, I'm coming," she replied with a forced smile. This was not going well. Her only form of entertainment left had just been ruined by her stupid wrist. Miserable, she broke into a run again to catch up to them.

"Maybe you need a rest," Gimli suggested when she caught up with them at the top of a small and rocky hill.

"No need, my good man," she answered casually, clapping her hands together once and stretching her legs as if preparing for a big race. "Let's rock and roll!"

Gimli cried out and Nicole's full attention snapped to him immediately. The Dwarf had chosen that moment to stumble over a rock jutting up from the ground and rolled the rest of the way down the hill. Nicole winced as she heard him clang downwards. She took off after him, minus the rolling and was at his side in a second, helping him up.

"I didn't mean it literally," Nicole said, brushing dirt off his shoulders. "Sorry," she said apologetically.

"Not idly do the leaves of Lorien fall," Aragorn whispered, stooping to the ground to pick up a pin. It was the leaf-shaped brooch that was given to all the travelers when they left the Golden Wood. One of the hobbit's must have left it behind, or perhaps it was merely chance. Either way, it was a good sign. Nicole's ears picked up his words and she glanced at him sharply. She grinned. _When I find those ugly Orcs, they are going to be dead in more ways than one. _Nicole was, of course, a loving and soft-hearted creature who loved absolutely everyone she met (_yeah, that's right_), but in this instance, her thirst for revenge reared its ugly head.

They began to move off again. "Keep up, Gimli!" Legolas shouted back to the Dwarf.

Nicole's jaw dropped at the comment as she took up her place running beside Gimli. "That's not fair! You get words out of that guy, and me? Nothing! And I'm the one who is--" she broke off suddenly, staring straight ahead and hoping the Dwarf had not heard her.

"You are the one who is what?" Gimli questioned.

"Nothing," Nicole replied too quickly, blushed and looked away. She had nearly said that she was the one who was an Elf, just like Legolas. So much for keeping her Elfness a secret. Luckily, Gimli dismissed the matter and they ran on as before. Nicole got bored of just running very quickly. So she added in things to spice things up. Maybe she added a bit too much spice. Or maybe she had gotten drunk.

She started to twirl, spinning herself in crazy circles as she ran, picking up more and more speed. Her hood was flung back from her head and her hair quickly came undone, whirling after her like a shadow. Nicole let her arms flare out from her sides to help her keep her balance as she gazed up at the blue sky, and smiled. _Maybe today we'll find Pippin and Merry.. we've been running for long enough, we must be close. And we found the pin... things are looking up. _Her head was starting to get dizzy so she stopped spinning and skipped for a while. The men stared at her and she, as usual, ignored them. A song was itching in her mind, and she tried to find the whole words. Thinking it might help her think, Nicole ran three steps, and then launched into a series of gymnastic maneuvers. The pain in her wrist bothered her but the motion of going upside down and sideways and through the air was way too much fun to give up. That is, until her wrist decided it would rather stay immobile. In the middle of a front-hand spring (is that what they're called?), her wrist refused to support her weight and she landed in a crumpled heap on the soft grass.

"Humph," she said, and blew the hair out of her face. Nicole plucked a piece of grass and rolled it between her finger and thumb as she sat waiting for the others to catch up. Legolas was the first to reach her and offered her a hand up. _Maybe he heard my comment to Gimli, _ the girl mused as she gladly accepted his hand. Aragorn reached them next and, being the most experienced healer among them, asked if she was alright.

With a grimace, Nicole held out her left injured wrist. "Got a bandaid?" she asked.

Aragorn inspected her wrist while they waited for Gimli to watch up. When he looked up at her, Nicole tried a smile. "This is not a fresh injury," he stated with an air of accusation. He sighed. "It is only sprained. It will heal quickly," he paused and gave her a look that said it-will-heal-quickly-because-you-are-an-Elf-and-you-shouldn't-do-this-again. "Do you have a bandage?"

Nicole nodded. "That's something I can help you with," she replied. She dug through her many pockets (where she had placed the bandages that had come with the herbs), emptying them one by one. "Hold this," she mumbled several times, thrusting small packets and cloth bundles at the Ranger. Finally, once Aragorn's arms were filled, Nicole victoriously unfurled a long scrap of fabric and gave it to Aragorn. She then plucked all the other items out of his arms and stuffed them back in her multiple pockets with her right hand. "Sorry," she said sheepishly.

Strider tried to give her a stern look, but the corner of his mouth twitched and she grinned. "Do not let it happen again," he said seriously, meaning the injury. He probably didn't want Nicole to think that just because she was an Elf and could heal very fast didn't mean that she should go get herself hurt as often as possible.

"I'll try not to," she said with a wink. Nicole gave Aragorn a quick hug when he finished tying the bandage, catching him by surprise. Then she ran ahead and started spinning/running in dizzy circles again.

"Nicole!" he shouted after her in warning, and then succumbed to his chuckles. "Is there any hope for that girl?" he asked himself softly.

"Not likely," Legolas told his friend. The human smiled at the Elf and they took up the chase again.

Nicole laughed, not caring about the light insult that Legolas had just given her. "I heard that!" she told them gleefully, all the while keeping up her mad circles. _The sky is so blue... _she noted. Giving a mental shrug, she reasoned, _a blue sky, that's a good enough reason to sing a song. _The song in her head was getting to the point that the melody was there, but the words would only come if she started singing. Obeying the wishes of the persistent song, Nicole began humming a few bars. "Can you sing with..." she trailed off. The words sounded wrong in Westron. She stopped twirling and reduced her energy level to just running, now that her running buddies had caught up with her. Nicole tried the same phrase in Dwarvish and wrinkled her nose. _Definitely not meant to be sung in Dwarvish... _Nicole gave it one last shot. *Can you sing with all the voices of the mountains?* She grinned broadly. _ Perfect._ Beginning quietly, her voice quickly getting stronger, Nicole sung the song that had been nagging her.  


_You think you own whatever land you land on,  
The Earth is just a dead thing you can claim.  
But I know every rock and tree and creature  
Has a life, has a spirit, has a name._

_You think the only people who are people  
Are the people who look and think like you.  
But if you walk the footsteps of a stranger  
You'll learn things you never knew you never knew._

_Have you ever heard the wolf cry to the blue corn moon?  
Or asked the grinning bobcat why he grinned?  
Can you sing with all the voices of the mountains?  
Can you paint with all the colors of the wind?  
Can you paint with all the colors of the wind?_

_Come run the hidden pine trails of the forest.  
Come taste the sunsweet berries of the Earth.  
Come roll in all the riches all around you  
And for once, never wonder what they're worth._

_The rainstorm and the river are my brothers,  
The heron and the otter are my friends.  
And we are all connected to each other  
In a circle, in a hoop that never ends._

_How high will the sycamore grow?  
If you cut it down, then you'll never know.  
And you'll never here the wolf cry to the blue corn moon._

_For whether we are white or copper-skinned,  
We need to sing with all the voices of the mountains,  
We need to paint with all the colors of the wind._

_You can own the Earth and still,  
All you'll own is Earth until  
You can paint with all the colors of the wind...  
_

She let the last note fade into the breeze. Nicole managed to sing it while keeping up the swift pace. Aragorn stared at her. It was the first time he had heard the girl sing, sing well, sing because she was happy, and sing in Elvish. "Did you like it?" Nicole asked. _I hope he did... I think it turned out very well. _All of them were looking at her now, silently. "What?" she asked, worry taking over. _I didn't do anything stupid, did I? Lemme think... other than the injury, and the gymnastics, and the twirling... maybe I have something on my face. What would I give for a compact mirror? _"What?" she repeated. The looks they were giving her began to alarm her and she stopped in her tracks. "What's wrong?" 

**A/N: Compared to the previous chapter, I hope that this one met everyone's standards. It's the first cliffie I've done in quite a while. And it's a really short chapter. But I hope it's ok, nonetheless. Thanks to Feathers of Wind for suggesting a cliffie. She says that my story sucks without them *grins*. Thank you for that comment, ms. perfect. jks. Oh yes, and I forgot to disclaim: the song is Colors of the Wind, from Pocahontas. I'm still too much of a wimp to post one of my own songs. Now, to answer all those wonderful, splendid, gorgeous, fantabulous, much-loved reviews!!!**

**star 67: I'm trying to follow the book as much as possible, but keep a bit of the movie in it for the people that only watched the movie. So this means that, no, Haldir will not die. He's too cool to die. :) plus, Nicole wouldn't be able to stand it. Thank you for your review!**

**Feathers of Wind: WHERE IS YOUR UPDATE???? I thought you said that you were getting back into fanfics??? Thanks for reading, but you could have reviewed my other chapters... :( And I'm glad that you think I'm evil in a good way. :D**

**(\/) II IK IE: How about you actually READ the chapters, instead of just reading the titles? that is, if you find time when you aren't doing history, math, science, french, english, extended essay, some sport, or anything else.**

**Lady Readalot: I don't know if you've read this far yet, but in reply to your reviews for earlier chapters: I try to make my characters life-like... key word being TRY. Are you sure it isn't a Mary Sue? She sings, she turns into an Elf... I'll probably make her fall in love with somebody later on... thanks for thinking that, anyways! Pippin isn't all that bad... Nicole's going to change her opinion of him soon. I hope. :) Thanks for the criticism, yes, Nicole's been terribly annoying with her stupid talking. I'm going to try to fix her around... seriously... she's starting to annoy me too. Thanks again for being brave enough to criticize! :)**

**Naomi Maxwell: I made you cry? I'm sorry... *hands Naomi a tissue*... I hope I didn't make you wait too long for this chapter. School has become murder these past few days. I think that Nicole probably will get romantically involved with someone, but I just haven't figured out with who. Any ideas?**

**Willow Myst: you spell "myst" the same way I spell it! :D cool. Haldir will not be killed. Or hurt... too badly... *apologetic smile* and the old Nicole is making a comeback.**

**levanna: Legolas and Nicky will chill out, but... it might take a while. hopefully not too long. *pouts* I wish I could write them happy faster, but how to do it without being too Mary-Sue-ish?**

**Fuzzy: Nicole is semi-life-like... she did become an Elf, after all. But she won't be flying or lighting fires with her mind any time soon. Thanks for reviewing!**

**Elrohwen: Reviews = excellent = author happy = more updates. :D Thanks for the archery lesson... it seemed so much simpler when you see someone else doing it. Maybe one day I'll actually be able to figure out how to *pick up* a bow, much less hit the target. I always hit the out edge... except for that one bullseye... I think it was beginner's luck. Keep reading, keep reviewing, and keep writing!**

**Crecy: thanks for your flame. The marshmallows were yummy! Congratulations: you are my first flame-giver. *thinks* actually, you're my first marshmallow-giver too... :)**

**I think that is it... to everyone else: THANK YOU FOR YOUR REVIEWS!!!! I feel so reviewed. :D yes, I know that doesn't make sense. But that's ok. Please keep reading, and I promise to keep writing! ~MoI~**


	22. Annoyance and Running, and Confusion, an...

**A/N: This is what happens when I should be doing homework... I get bored, check my ff.net account, find a review and begin writing the next chapter. Stupid me. And I wonder why I'm failing Chemistry. But I have to admit, it was also very tempting to write Nicole falling in love with a random Orc... (thank you for that brilliant idea! lol). Well, I hope you all have fun reading my story. I'll get to the chapter in just a second. Or, if you'd rather not read all the stupid author's stuff I write, skip to the beginning of non-bolded print. Enjoy!**

**Crecy, you are a genius. *wink* read on, and you'll see why.**

**Naomi, thank you so much for making my crappy day a LOT better.... just the thought of Legolas having to call Nicole mommy is so... omg. I'd love to see that happen... I think I'll end up writing it in as a daydream or rambling thought in one of the chapters... and Elrond. Let's not get me started on that. LOL. Thanks for your brilliant ideas and your great reviews!**

**Disclaimer: nothing is mine. even my crazy brain. I sold that to my friend for a donut. *hangs head in shame* I'm so pathetic... all I own now is Nicole... the bid has been lowered to four cents, if anybody is interested.**

**Home Sweet Home**

**Chapter Twenty-Two ~ Annoyance and Running, and Confusion, and More Running**

_ "What?" she repeated. The looks they were giving her began to alarm her and she stopped in her tracks. "What's wrong?" _

Nicole searched every face. Aragorn was staring at her with something that was either awe or fright. Legolas had no emotions on his face but his eyes looked... somewhat expressive, for an Elf anyways. He looked interested. _ That's a first, _Nicole thought, then set her gaze on Gimli. His reaction shocked her most of all. The Dwarf stood stiffly, staring up at her, mouth open, eyes wide, arms hanging loosely at his sides. But it was his facial expression that hit her hardest: disbelief and... distance. He was withdrawn from her, the friendly connection was gone. It was like he was staring at a stranger. _Gimli... what did I do? _Nicole wondered, her brow furrowed.

"I'm not kidding, guys. Tell me now, what's wrong? What's going on?" she demanded, her tone getting hard, just like her eyes.

Aragorn glanced at Legolas momentarily, glanced back at Nicole, softly cleared his throat and stared at the ground. Nicole glanced between Aragorn and Legolas, and met the Elf's blue eyes. _Blue eyes... Elf... oh no. Gimli knows... _Nicole tensed and stared silently at Gimli, waiting for him to say something. The silence was heavy and a small breeze stirred her hair, clearly displaying her ears. No one moved, no one spoke.

"Gimli?" Nicole said impatiently. "Gimli, are you... are you alright?" The Dwarf still hadn't come out of his shock and in fact, wasn't moving at all. Thinking that something was wrong, Nicole took a step forward and reached a hand out to Gimli. "Gimli, is everything OK?" He took a step back from her when she advanced and stopped in her tracks. Pain etched across her face for a moment, but was quickly erased by a hard mask of determination. Nicole dropped her hand and turned back to the direction in which they were tracking the Uruk-hai. Without a word, she set off across the plain again. In spite of her apparent disregard, Nicole was on the verge of tears. 

The three hunters stared at each other for a minute and then Aragorn sprinted after Nicole, seeing that no one else seemed inclined to move, leaving the Elf and the Dwarf by themselves. As he ran after her, he scanned the land for the girl. She appeared to have disappeared, but the ranger could have sworn that she had been here moments ago. He followed her tracks through the grass, and reached a small cliff where her footsteps suddenly stopped. Fearing the worst, Aragorn approached the ledge, and looked down the wall of rock. Luckily, it was only twenty feet or so (seven meters) of a drop, so that was a big relief. The crumpled figure at the bottom didn't move, however, so Aragorn quickly and carefully climbed down the slope.

Nicole was lying there, just staring up at the sky, ignoring her oddly positioned limbs. She twirled a piece of her long dark hair between two fingers when Aragorn found her. He immediately began checking her for injuries.

"What happened? Are you alright? Do you hurt anywhere?" he asked, feeling her arms gently.

"He doesn't like me anymore... he doesn't know me," she said softly, biting her lip.

"Did you hit your head?" Aragorn continued, lifting her head off the ground and forcing her to sit up.

Nicole laboriously moved her legs into a more normal position. "Gimli... what am I supposed to do, Aragorn?" She met his gaze and asked for a solution.

Aragorn sat back on the grass, confident that the girl was still in one piece. "He doesn't seem to mind Legolas so much," he said. "What makes you think he will act differently to you? In fact, it should not bother him at all, since the two of you are friends."

"Are you sure? He looked pretty freaked out."

He chuckled. "Perhaps he looked 'freaked out', as you say it, because he was not used to seeing you as I did in Lorien. You are changed, as an Elf, than you were as a girl, Nicole."

Nicole looked at the sky again, leaning back on her uninjured right arm. "I'm still not sure," she said uncertainly and suddenly sat up straight again. "Alright, I have a Plan. I reinstate conversation with aforementioned Dwarf, but should he refuse to continue friendly relations, you shall have to be my only source of amusement for the duration of our journey." She held out a hand to shake. "Agreed?"

Aragorn grabbed her hand and lifted her up from the ground. "Agreed."

She held fast to his hand. "That's something you should consider carefully. I can be a terribly annoying, obnoxious, ridiculous, insane, and troublesome friend." Aragorn repeated himself. Warily, she let go of his hand. "Alright, but it's your problem now." Just then, a clatter of rocks from above them made Nicole turn her head sharply upwards. A cry accompanied a tumbling cloud of dust and rock, and landed with a thump a few feet from Nicole. Legolas jumped down gracefully, landing in a crouch and straightening himself as the dust cleared. Nicole moved forward when she saw that it was Gimli. "Are you alright? What happened? How did you manage to fall like that?" the questions streamed out of her mouth before she could recall that she was an Elf, a fact recently discovered by the Dwarf. Nicole grabbed his arm and hauled him easily to his feet (using her right hand, of course). A moment later, she realized what she had done and stepped back quickly in case Gimli freaked out again.

The Dwarf looked up at her, first making sure visually that the girl was alright, and then his gaze rested on her ears. Pointed ears. Nicole swallowed painfully under his scrutiny. Instinctively, she reached a hand out to Aragorn who had taken Boromir's place as her brother, a title she had placed upon him unbeknownst to him. She curled her fingers around his palm, already feeling that Gimli was still unsure of her. 

"We should keep going," she whispered to Aragorn, and nudged him gently in the direction of the Uruks, pleading with her eyes that they keep moving.

~*~*~*~*~*~Legolas & Gimli after Nicole's initial departure~*~*~*~*~*~

"Are you well, my friend?" Legolas asked Gimli. The Dwarf had not yet spoken and appeared to still be digesting the information.

"She... Nicole... she... did you see?" The Dwarf whispered, voice hoarse with bewilderment.

Legolas sighed and thanked the Valar for the strength of Elven patience. "Yes, I did see. I knew about it since we left the woods of Lorien, as did Aragorn," he explained, remembering his conversation with Nicole at the farewell party. "She did not want to tell you because she was afraid that you would... not be pleased. As you know, Elves and Dwarves do not easily befriend one another," he commented with a wry grin.

"But... she... how?" Gimli still couldn't bring himself to actually say what had happened to the formerly human girl.

"I do not know. It is a mystery to me, perhaps the Lady played some part in it. Within all reason, a girl from another kingdom unknown to any of us, who appears from nowhere and is a human, then becomes one of my kind... it is impossible. But these are strange time," he said and brought his talking to a point. "So strange that even a Dwarf and Elf manage to become friends. It should not be so hard for you to do again, should it, Gimli?" Legolas hinted at accepting Nicole, despite her race, and he hoped that the Dwarf could still hear him. His ears picked up a scattering of rocks from the direction of Aragorn and Nicole. "But come now, there is no more time for such thoughts. We still hunt the Orcs who took our friends, and we must catch up to our companions." The two set off at a sprint towards the cliff where Aragorn and Nicole sat talking.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~

They ran for the duration of the day, never stopping and talking shortly, if ever. Nicole kept a cautious distance from Gimli, anxious about what he thought of her now. She was relieved that she could keep her hair away from her face without fear now, and that she did not have to pretend to stumble every once in a while, but his reaction still weighed heavily on her heart. When the night was well upon them, and Gimli was starting to get severe problems with seeing, the group stopped, finding a niche under a rocky overhang and sat down on the grass to rest.

"Hi ho, hi ho, from work to home we go," Nicole mumbled tiredly as she slumped against the rocks. They sat in semi-darkness, Aragorn thinking that they were getting too close to their prey to light a fire. The moon was half-full with a strange glow and the stars were bright and provided some silvery light, reminding Nicole of Lorien. The estimation of the time when they would confront the Uruk's was either late tomorrow evening, or tomorrow night. She held her bow across her crossed legs and stared blankly, wanting to fall asleep but her damn glow was too bright. Nicole groaned.

"Something troubles you?" Aragorn asked distractedly as he was trying to polish his blade.

"You've lived around Elves for a while, haven't you?" she asked. Legolas glanced up at the conversation but Gimli remained silent, face turned towards the plains.

"Yes. I lived in Rivendell and often traveled in the company of Elves."

"Do you sleep well? Any problems with insomnia?"

His brow furrowed slightly but he replied. "My sleep is undisturbed, for the most part."

"And you can fall asleep easily, even when surrounded by Elves."

"It has never been a problem for me. Are you alright, Nicole?" Her line of questioning didn't make much sense to him.

"Never been better," she grumbled and pressed the heels of her palms into her eyes. _Stupid stupid stupid me... this journey is too stressful. Number One: first thing I do here is land myself on a sharp pointy rock and deliver a lovely injury. Number Two: I climb up and down, and all I get for it is a cold and a good friend that fell into a hole. We could really use Gandalf right about now. Number Three: I become an Elf. An ELF. What is this, Mary-Sue Mania? Number Four: Boromir is brutally murdered by a group of ugly Uruk-hai that are going to die tomorrow by my hand, and Pippin and Merry are taken from us. And Number Five, to top it all off: Gimli is angry with me, or scared of me, or something, because he won't talk to me because I'm an Elf. I'm splendid, Aragorn, how are you?! _ She groaned again as she finished her mental tirade and took her hands away from her eyes nothing was working.

"Why did you ask such strange questions?" Aragorn wondered.

Nicole mumbled something so softly that he had to ask her to repeat it. "I can't sleep." She glared at him, and then at Legolas, partly for listening in on the conversation, and partly for being an Elf himself.

"Why not? Does something ail you?"

"Nothing ails me but this damn glow thing!" she whispered fiercely so that Gimli wouldn't catch on to what she was saying. Nicole noticed and was much annoyed that her comment was very amusing to Legolas. *What're you laughing at, Elf?* she snapped in whispered Elvish.

*He has no part in this, Nicole,* Aragorn tried to reason with her.

*You seem to forget, once more, that you are an Elf,* Legolas replied coolly. *And I am simply amused by your behavior, for it is much like that of Elfin children.*

Nicole's mouth fell open and she turned to Aragorn. *He just insulted me! He said I was a child!*

Aragorn chuckled. *Very well, tell me then, how old are you, Nicole?*

She put her bow on the ground beside her, pulled her knees to her chest and buried her head in her arms. Again, her response was mumbled.

*I didn't quite hear you,* Legolas said, far too amused by her suffering.

*I forgot,* she ground out through clenched teeth. She looked up and glared at Legolas, who had turned his attention now to his knives so that she couldn't see his face. *So? Wouldn't you forget? Aren't you wondering if you've reached 2500 or whatever?*

*I know exactly how many years I have been alive,* the Elf replied pointedly.

*Oh yeah? Fine, how old are you?*

*It's not polite to discuss ages,* Aragorn added in, to calm down the fight that seemed to be stirring. *Nicole, how old do you think you are?*

*I honestly have no clue,* she admitted. *I think I was somewhere around sixteen for sure... but that was a while ago. I think I'm older now. I _feel _older now. It must've been because of Lorien. Everyone was so stiff and old and mature there. But it was nice...* she trailed off, lost in her memories now...

"Nicole? Nicole?"

"Huh? What? I'm awake, I'm awake!" she said and sat up straight, looking about her. She frowned. "Wasn't the sky black a few seconds ago?"

Aragorn spared her a smile as he slipped his sword back into its scabbard. The sky was now lightening towards dawn. "For all your worries that you would not be able to sleep, when your memories took their hold on you, you fell into your own kind of sleep. With open eyes but senseless to the world, you, Nicole, slept as an Elf."

"I did?" she asked shocked, and poked her eyes, as though checking now to see that they were still open. "Ouch... shouldn't have done that." She adjusted the quiver on her back and cracked her neck as she stood. "Where to, boss?"

Aragorn pointed west. "We keep going the same way as before, as always."

They set off, running across the grass again before the sun was up. Nicole ran side by side with Aragorn and at one point, still before the sun rise, he began a conversation with her.

"After you fell asleep, we tried to find an age appropriate for you, Nicole," he said. She hoped desperately that by 'we' he meant all three hunters and that Gimli was starting to warm up to her again.

"Really? Thanks. So how old am I?" It felt strange to be asking somebody else that question.

"What do you think of being 20 years of age?" he asked with a sidelong glance.

She mulled it over for a while. _Hmm... not bad. I'm old enough to be out on my own, by that time. And I probably look 20 too, considering the whole Elf thing. But still young, I've still got time ahead of me. I like it. _Nicole nodded. "Twenty, I could live with that. Any particular thing that influenced your decision?"

"To be honest, something older would have been more suitable for your face, perhaps 23? But the way you act is often..."

"Immature? Unwise? Childish? Stupid? Idiotic? Similar to a five year old?" Nicole listed the possible endings to Aragorn's sentence.

"You are truly a strange girl... or woman, I should say now."

"Thank you, I'll take that as a compliment," she replied happily. His words triggered something she had wanted to say. "Oh, by the way, did you notice the moon last night?"

He frowned and replied shortly. "No." Nicole realized that talking to people while they're running is probably not the best idea for their health.

"It was strange," she said, then seeing his questioning gaze, continued to explain. "It kind of had a reddish circle around it... like an aura, y'know?" Apparently, Aragorn didn't know and still looked at Nicole as though she was of uncertain mental health. "Well, there's this superstition that when that happens bad stuff is in the future. Just thought you might want to know." Nicole shrugged, a difficult maneuver while running. They grew quiet again because the difficulty of talking while running was a bit too great for Aragorn, as conditioned as he was.

Slowly but surely, the sky grew to blue and the sun rose red over the hills.

"A red sun rises, blood has been spilt this night," Legolas commented, then ran on.

Nicole rolled her eyes. "I said that a second ago. Well not exactly. But still... word-stealer!" she muttered under her breath. _Who is he talking to when he says those things, anyways? The sun itself, maybe? Definitely not Aragorn, he's too far ahead, and Gimli's too far behind. Ha, I bet that he's going insane. Oh, that would be SO good, _Nicole grinned with these thoughts, and looked about to see who she could share her insights with. The only person who might have enjoyed her humor was Gimli, but seeing as they weren't talking right now... Nicole sighed. _I didn't think this was possible, but this both sucks and blows at the same time. _(A/N: I'm pretty sure that Bart Simpson says that, so it's not mine!)

They ran some more. Then they ran. And after that, they ran. Nicole was not amused anymore, getting tired of constant running and no results. Added to that, she was running. And she was getting very worried about Merry and Pippin. Some serious damage could have been done to the hobbits by now, and since she (and Legolas) had noted that the night had looked suspiciously murderous, Nicole was getting jumpy.

Aragorn tapped her shoulder as they were crossing one hill and she nearly screamed. "Don't DO that!" she scolded him, holding one hand to her rapidly beating heart. "What is it?"

"We must hide, riders are coming from the direction in which we hunt," he replied, and led the group to a outcrop of rocks nearer to the bottom of the hill. They hid among the stones, the Elven cloaks hiding them well as the riders rode past them swiftly. 

In the silence of the few seconds, Nicole took the opportunity to try conversation with Gimli again. Aragorn was fine, but having just one person to talk to was anything but fun. "Gimli?" she said softly, hoping that he would at least turn around or look at her. He remained stiff and cold to her. _That's not fair. I didn't ask to be an Elf, he doesn't have to get mad at me._

The column of horsemen had nearly passed them when Aragorn stood up, seeming to recognize their raiment. "Riders of Rohan, what news from the Riddermark?" he yelled out in a loud voice, and motioned for the others to come out from their hiding places.

Nicole stood with the rest of them in the open plain, but quickly realized that she was, in fact, a woman who was, in fact, traveling with three males, and added to that she was, in fact, an Elf. A situation that was far too bizarre for these strangers to comprehend, so she swiftly pushed her hair back, hiding its length beneath the cloak, and pulled her hood low over her face so that no features would be seen. The riders formed a circle around them and bent their spears forward, keeping the four hunters close together and far from the riders.

Out of the group, one man rode forward and by the looks of his armor, slightly more embellished than the others, he was the leader of this band of Rohirrim. "Who are you and what business have you in Rohan? Speak quickly!"

Aragorn eyed the rider warily, apprehensive of the helmet still hiding the speaker's identity. "I am called Strider. My companions and I come from the north on the trail of a band of Orcs. Now tell me, be you friend or foe? Whom do you serve, and what is your name?"

"You are strange hunters, who hunt so badly equipped. The others have yet not spoken, and I demand their names as well. But before that, I will say this: Rohan serves no one, and my company is loyal to Rohan and to Theoden King in the Golden Hall. We do not serve the darkness in Mordor, if that is what you mean. My company slew a great group of Uruk-hai and Orcs this night past," he said, and pointed towards the trail where this particular part of the Fellowship had been planning to go. "There you may see that we have piled and burned their foul carcasses. I ask again: what are you names, silent ones?"

"Give me your name, horsemaster, and I shall give you mine, and more besides," Gimli replied in his usual stubborn manner.

Angered, the man dismounted his horse and pulled off his helmet. Blonde hair spilled onto his shoulders and bright eyes regarded them coolly. "For your words, Dwarf, I would cut off your head, beard and all, if it stood but a little higher from the ground," he sneered.

Nicole, infuriated at this man's treatment of her (formerly) close friend, whipped out her bow and strung it, for once being quicker than Legolas. The leader of the Rohirrim had two bows pointed at him, and the archers soon had tens of spears brought closer to them. "Try it," Nicole growled dangerously, her voice not sounding at all female nor Elven.

"You would die before your stroke fell," Legolas said, louder than Nicole.

Gimli looked up in surprise at the two Elves, so quick to protect him. He was especially confused that Nicole would still be attached to him, even though he had shunned her. Guilt began to edge his heart.

Aragorn forced them to lower their weapons, and replied for them. "This is Legolas from the Mirkwood realm. And this is Gimli, Gloin's son, from the mountains," he said steadily, indicating Elf and Dwarf in turn.

"I am Eomer, Third Marshall of the Riddermark, and this is my company," the man said, finally satisfied to have some names. Nicole was grateful that she got away so easy, but has anything ever been easy for Nicole? Eomer gestured towards her. "Why do you not speak, and why do you hide your face? Have you no tongue?"

His tone of voice sparked fury in Nicole and she tensed, about to pull her bow up again, or maybe just punch the guy for the way he was talking to her, all high-and-mighty. And he didn't even know she was a woman. A firm grip on her wrist stayed her and Legolas replied for her. "This is Yaaraer, and this traveler has a strange reaction to the sun and must wear a hood to protect the skin," he explained, carefully avoiding using 'he' or 'she'. Nicole froze when she heard what name he had given her. Roughly translated, it meant something along the lines of 'old one' and he said it with a mocking tone, knowing that Nicole hated being called a child. (A/N: I'm not sure if it actually means that, sorry). She glared hard at him.

Eomer regarded her skeptically. "Very well, I do not wish to cause you harm by revealing your skin to sunlight," he replied unhappily. "I do not understand what draws such a strange group of travelers from the north," he continued, speaking to Aragorn again. "Perhaps we may speak for a moment, away from the others." And the two of them walked a short distance away while the group of riders spread out, allowing Legolas, Gimli, and Nicole to move as they pleased.

Nicole stood where she was, bow still in hand, and not completely sure that she trusted these people. Aragorn seemed fine with them, even the Elf and Dwarf were willing to accept them as allies. Maybe it was just their treatment of strangers that caught her off guard. _Is everyone else in Middle Earth this mean and rude? _she wondered. _ Could be true... after all, look at Gimli's reaction to me. And before he found out that he HAD to be civil to me because I was an Elf, Legolas wasn't very kind either. _

Aragorn's voice reached her and snapped her back to attention. "We shall move on," he told them. Their search of the two Halflings had been explained to Eomer, and their leader had sadly received no news of them from Eomer. "They have seen no sign of our friends, but perhaps they managed to escape." His voice was subdued, and didn't inspire much hope.

"We shall give you horses to aid you if they can," Eomer added. He whistled sharply, and gestured for one of the men to come closer. Two horses were brought to the four travelers. "This is Hasufel, and Arod. May your fortunes be better than their former masters'." The horseman moved away and mounted his own ride, preparing to lead his company away. 

Nicole, once again, found that she couldn't help herself and stopped him. "Hey buddy! I see four of us, and two horses. As much as we appreciate your help, I don't feel like being left behind, so if you don't mind... I know you have horses to spare," she yelled out. Her actions made Aragorn reconsider the age he gave her: five or seven might have been more accurate. Her voice showed her to be a woman, and her movement forward pushed the hood back so that now her face could be seen, but her ears were still hidden.

"A woman?" Eomer asked incredulously and turned his steed to face them again. "The fourth of your companions is a woman? You keep a strange group of friends, Strider."

"Oh I'm sorry," Nicole bit back sarcastically. "Did I offend you by being independent and being able to travel in the big wide world? Was it demeaning to you to know that a mere woman, such as myself, could wield weapons? I apologize for being so manly, in that case. Please, forgive me." Nicole's voice dripped with sarcasm and venom and she gave a half-bow. Her words came out badly and she hadn't meant to be so harsh but the weight of Boromir's death, the fruitlessness of their hunt, and Gimli's recent refusal of friendship were starting to wear on her nerves.

The riders sat stunned at hearing her outburst. Eomer slowly called forward a third horse and cautiously handed the reins to Nicole. "A steed, milady. He is yet unnamed, for his master died before deciding on a name. May he serve you well," he said slowly, as though speaking to someone who might blow up at any second.

Nicole bowed graciously this time. "Thank you, Lord Eomer," she said, sarcasm gone, and happy to be treated nicely for once. "Although I ask of you not to call me Lady. It is a title I have never known, nor do I ever wish to use. May your company fare well on its journeys." Then she mounted her horse and waited for her friends (not literal friends) to mount their own horses.

Eomer rode out a bit and then called to Aragorn, "May our swords shine together in the future!" 

Nicole waved cheerfully at them. "Bye! Play nice!" Eomer glanced at her strangely again and then turned his company around and they rode off. "I think that went very well, don't you?" she asked Aragorn.

"You are strange, Nicole, and that is all I have to say on the matter," he replied.

"Thank you. Now c'mon, we have to check that battle site for any clues about Pippin and Merry." Nicole patted her horse's neck fondly. It was a dark brown horse with sparkling dark eyes. "Go, horsie, go!" It didn't move. "Run!" Nothing. "Run, please?" Still nothing. Feeling frustrated, Nicole fought the urge to curse. *Run, you stupid thing! NORO!* The command in Elvish was like a wake-up call to the horse, and it sprinted into a gallop immediately, heading in the direction she wanted it to go. She laughed as the hooves kicked up a cloud of dust.

Behind her, the three hunters spurred their horses into gallops and heard her cries, none of which made sense to them.

"Burn dust, horsie! Eat my rubber!"

**A/N: I congratulate you on reading and surviving what is, quite possibly, the stupidest chapter I've ever written. I don't think I developed the coldness between Gimli and Nicole very well... any suggestions?**

**I'm so proud of all my reviewers! You've gotten me to nearly 80! Good job! Keep it up!**

**I've borrowed the "burn dust, eat my rubber" thing from National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation, so it's not mine!!! And... erm.... I think that's it. Oh, and the reason for the badness of this chapter is that I have exams this week, and I really shouldn't have written anything, but I did, so now both my exams and my chapter turned out less than good. I'm sorry, I'll try to do better next time.**

**Next chapter: Trees! Whoo hoo! Maybe we'll even get to Gandalf... hmm... we shall see. And what's going to happen with Nicole and Gimli? Can an attack of flying tree monkeys (these vicious animals just keep showing up, don't they?) save their friendship??? Find out when I get a chance to write and post! Bye! ~MoI~**


	23. Angelic Again, And Other Stuff

**A/N: Congratulate me: I'm alive. Surprising considering that I hardly studied for exams. :P blah. Thank you all for being so patient (and demanding) with me for getting this chapter posted. If it weren't for the (numerous) reminders, it probably would have taken a lot longer to post. Also, yea, I realized that a horse unnamed by the Rohirrim was really strange. But, I plead innocent under the defense of using artistic license. **

**Specially thanks goes to Enna, for reviewing THREE TIMES for chapter 22, just to remind me to update. :) You would've had this chapter sooner if fanfiction.net hadn't shut down on Saturday night. But here it is, enjoy!**

**Milenn: Thanks for the paragraph, but I couldn't figure out any where it would fit. And believe me, I tried for about an hour. But your writing is really good. Do you have an account? You should write your own fanfics too. Somebody once said: a great story does not inspire you to read another story, it inspires you to write a story of your own. Keep that in mind! thanks for reading!**

**Naomi Maxwell: read on. There's one little daydreaming incident that's written just for you. *grins* I don't know WHERE you got the idea of Nicole being with Thranduil or Elrond, but I'd feel sorry for Leggy and Elladan and Elrohir. *grins again* Thanks for reviewing!**

**Disclaimer: Chapter Twenty Three, it should be obvious by now that I don't own Lord of the Rings. If I did, I would be richer and have a way cooler computer.**

**Home Sweet Home**

**Chapter Twenty-Three ~ Angelic Again, And Other Stuff**

*C'mon, Fuchsia, it's just a bit farther!* Nicole urged her horse closer to the ever-growing column of smoke. They had ridden for about three-quarters of an hour, always heading for the site of last night's battle. That time had given Nicole an opportunity to name her horse. Her _male _horse. She chose a very manly name.

"Who do you speak to?" Aragorn asked, his horse, Hasufel, pulling along side hers.

"My horse."

"Fuchsia? That is the name you gave to your horse?" Legolas asked.

"Yes. Is there something wrong with that? I believe he was my horse to name. And besides, I really like the color fuchsia. It's a compliment to the horse."

"You named your horse after a color?" Legolas was still in shock. His voice dripped with disdain at her name-choosing.

She pinned him with a harsh glare. "What's wrong with being named after a color? I seem to remember somebody else who had a color in their name, _Green_leaf." Legolas backed down a bit but still felt that her name choice was lacking in taste. It was, after all, a very feminine sounding name, and the horse was a stallion. Nicole spoke up again, but this time with less anger and more curiosity. "Why do you always introduce yourself as Legolas, anyway? Isn't that less useful for you?"

"What do you mean less useful?"

"Aren't you a royal? If you ever mentioned that, you would get a lot more respect, and you would probably scare people to death too. That's always an advantageous quality," Nicole explained as though talking to a five year old.

"What would be the point? Most humans are impressed enough by a simple Elf, much less a Prince."

Nicole pursed her lips. "That's not fair. You cheated. How come you managed to win?" She looked at him suspiciously. "You debate with yourself, don't you?" At his silence and ignorance of her, Nicole let the subject drop with a huff.

"We draw near!" Aragorn shouted, and the three horses sprinted over the final hill. They reined in beside the smoking heap of carcasses. The stench was horrible and Nicole had to struggle to overcome her gag reflex. The dismounted and dismally approached the mound, Nicole hanging to the back of their group.

"There's naught left to search," Gimli said softly, idly poking his axe amongst the tattered bodies. Suddenly he bent to pick up something he had found. Held up to the sunlight, they saw that it was one of the belts given to Pippin and Merry in Lorien, badly charred and damaged. Silence descended upon them, grief playing on each face. Aragorn let out a shout of frustration and failure, Gimli hung his head in reverence, and Legolas whispered a prayer. 

Nicole's mind went blank and her breathing got shallow and quick. She stumbled backwards and tried to swallow around the lump in her throat. _They... they... no. _She sank to the ground and folded her legs close to her, wrapping her arms around herself. Her eyes were wide and glistening with unshed tears. _Pippin? Merry? No... they can't be... be... dead. _She shuddered lightly as she thought of it. _ But how can that be? This shouldn't happen... this isn't right. _ Her mind was refusing to accept the evidence as truth, firmly insisting that this wasn't right, this wasn't what was supposed to happen. But whereas before when she got that feeling, she understood why, now she drew a blank. _They don't die, they can't. Hobbits are too clever. They do something, don't they? They don't die. Not Pippin, not Merry. And Pippin... _her thoughts broke off, not making much sense to her in their fragmented forms. Slowly she stood up again and her horse, evidently feeling his mistress' pain, nuzzled her and let her lean on him. *Thanks Fuchsia,* she murmured softly into the warm mane of the horse. Nicole made her way to Aragorn who kneeled on the ground, still angry at his failure. To get his attention she touched his shoulder. "They're okay, they're safe," she assured him but as for what made her say those words: Nicole had no clue.

Aragorn stared at the ground dejectedly. A moment later, his eyes lit up, seeing something strange in the ground. He began running his hands over the grass and darted from one place to the next, his mind jumping to conclusions that nobody else understood.

"What is he doing?" Nicole asked no body in particular. Realization hit her. "Oh, duh. I'm such an idiot. His Ranger sense must be tingling. After him!" she led them after their leader, and now he began to speak to them as he scanned the ground for something.

"There are hobbit tracks here, and here," Aragorn said, pointing. "They could not move well-- their hands were bound!" he picked up a piece of cut rope as evidence. "But then it was cut off, and they ran. No one noticed them in the battle, so they managed to escape. But here, here one of them was caught by the foot. And then they ran free again though they were tracked, away from the battle ---then they may not be dead--- and into..." he trailed off as they reached the edge of a great and dark forest and stared into its depths. "Into Fangorn Forest."

"What madness drove them into those dangerous woods?" Gimli wondered, aghast at the thought of entering such a place.

"The same madness that's going to make us go in after them," Nicole replied coolly, still hurt at the Dwarf's distance from her. She turned away and didn't see the look of guilt that flickered on Gimli's face. She jumped onto a tree root and started weaving her way between the trees. Nicole disappeared from their sights and yelled back to them, "Are you coming, or do I have to find Pippin and Merry by myself?"

They left the horses free by the side of the forest. Aragorn and Legolas followed her, and Gimli came too, but reluctantly. "You are all mad, for going into such a place," he grumbled as he trundled over the protruding tree roots.

The boughs of the trees were heavy with moss, vines, and leaves. Little sunlight managed to seep through the thick canopy. For all the it was day outside the forest, it could have been night inside it. The air was thicker in here and the wind did not stir any branches. The trees were massive, ancient things that were in all likelihood as old as Middle Earth itself. Their sheer size created lots of uneven ground and protruding tree limbs and roots, causing much difficulty for Gimli. The other three travelers went easily enough through the forest, checking for any signs of Merry or Pippin as they went. At one point, Gimli found a sticky substance on a leaf. He poked one finger into the black inkiness and tasted it. 

"Orc blood!" he spat and put his hand to his axe, holding it ready before himself.

Nicole grimaced. _That's disgusting... I can't believe he just ate that. I'm surprised he isn't dead yet, that stuff could be poisonous. _The trees seemed to shift at Gimli's actions and a low groan echoed through the forest. Nicole looked about her with round eyes, and then found that Gimli had his axe held dangerously high amongst the trees. She jumped lightly from tree root to tree root, placed herself in front of a tree that happened to be in Gimli's way. From the tree's point of view (if tree's could think, that is), it looked as though Gimli was approaching it with the intent of chopping it. Nicole gently placed one hand on the tree trunk behind her. The other hand she used to push down Gimli's axe while she scowled at him at the same time as Aragorn told him to lower his axe. _How did we become so different so quickly? _Nicole wondered, wandering around the trees again. She walked a distance away from the hunters, observing them. After her mini-confrontation with Gimli, Nicole decided she needed cheering up. Grinning evilly, she thought, _Legolas is walking way too easily in these woods. _ She darted off into the trees, ignoring when Aragorn called for her once or twice in worry.

Legolas walked amongst the trees happy to be in a forest again. But he was wary of the trees, because they were old and unhappy and they began to stir at some thing that bothered them. If he had the choice, he could have spent a long time in here, studying the trees and learning of them. Being so enraptured by the woods surrounding him, he was slightly distracted, allowing for Nicole to go undetected by him.

_This is so perfect... _she thought as she slipped behind a tree trunk that was a few meters ahead of the Prince's current course. She held her breath and focused on being quiet. Nicole bit her lip hard when she heard his soft, barely detectable footfalls close by. When she finally decided to move, he was just on the other side of the tree trunk, in the perfect spot to execute her plan. _Ready, Nicole, on three. One... Two.... THREE! _Nicole jumped from behind the tree. "BOO!" she yelled and laughed at Legolas' startled expression. Before he could react and kill her, she scampered off into the trees and warned him, "Watch out for the flying tree monkeys!"

The Elven Prince glowered. "Aragorn," he said, voice dangerously low. 

Aragorn chuckled. "You cannot blame her behavior on me any longer. She is of the Elf-kind now." Legolas was not happy with this news. Gimli, again, was struck by the change in the woman, and was uncertain how to proceed. His companions noted his expression. "Nicole is still a good person, Gimli. Give her a chance," Aragorn said to the Dwarf. Gimli didn't reply and they continued on through the dense forest.

"This forest is old. Old and full of memory," Legolas commented. "It almost makes me feel young again."

A short burst of laughter from the trees to the left of the group made them turn. Nicole appeared. "Sorry, really...," she sputtered, trying to control her laughter. She laughed more at their expressions. "I was just... daydreaming--" she laughed again and had to turn away and lean on a tree for support. Nicole sunk to the ground, shoulders shaking with barely contained mirth. 

Legolas nudged Aragorn. "What is wrong with her?" he asked.

Aragorn shrugged helplessly. "I do not know. It could be an illness, although my father has never seen anything like this," he replied, referring to Lord Elrond.

Nicole burst out laughing again and clamped her hands over her mouth, tears springing to her eyes. "Aragonite, if you never say that word again, it will be too soon," she said around her giggles. For the benefit of the confused bystanders, Nicole's thoughts ought to be explained. Speaking them, would, of course be incredibly stupid because it would result in a severe beating by Legolas. Wandering through the woods had been rather boring, so she began to amuse herself by daydreaming. _I'm twenty years old now... that's pretty old. Once this quest is over, I should probably settle down somewhere and actually be a normal person in Middle Earth. Getting a guy would probably be good too. Eomer isn't at all bad-looking. It's a shame he's a mortal... I guess that as an Elf, I should get a boyfriend that's an Elf too. Arwen and Aragorn only get exempted because he's the king. Hmm... who do I know that's a single Elf male? Lathanir... too uptight. Haldir is like a brother to me. Tarcalen... more uptight than Lathanir. Celeborn is married, plus he's like a grandfather figure to me. Who else is there? Think non-Lothlorien Elves, Nicole. Ok... well, there's Elrond. Ha.. NO, that would be like... dating Aragorn's foster father. Way too bizarre. Elladan or Elrohir? But I'd get confused between the two of them. Who else is there? Oh my god... Thranduil! If I ended up marrying him, Legolas would have to call me mommy! _It was at this point that Nicole had to force her giggles down, but then Legolas made his comment about feeling young. 

Nicole grinned stupidly at them. "I think I'm okay now... whew! Ha... haha... wow," she trailed off, trying to bring herself back to normal. She glanced at Legolas and sniggered. "I am SO sorry... I really am," she said, apologizing to him. _Of course I'm sorry... can you imagine what would happen to him if I ended up being his mother? Poor Elf Prince. _"Ok, let's get going again," she said still smiling, and they moved off.

They only walked a short distance before Legolas held up a hand to halt them. *There is something out here,* he whispered.

*What is it? What do you see?* Aragorn asked, drawing their group close together.

"The White Wizard approaches," Legolas replied, glancing furtively around them.

Aragorn drew his sword silently, Legolas fitted an arrow to his bow, and Gimli hefted his axe. "Do not let him speak," Aragorn cautioned them. "He may put a spell on us." His eyes met Nicole's for a moment. "Keep to the back. If you get a chance, run."

Nicole opened her mouth to protest, but a rustle from ahead of them alerted her. Something about the situation struck her as odd, but she followed Aragorn's instructions. She did not run, however, and instead loosely held one of her knives. 

Between the trees a hooded and bent old man walked. Letting loose a battle cry, Aragorn lifted his sword as if to charge. Legolas raised his bow and fired. Gimli threw his axe at the intruder. But Anduril burned in Aragorn's hand and he dropped it, Legolas' arrow went wild, and Gimli's axe spun off course, knocked harmlessly to the ground. Nicole had only halfway lifted her knife, unsure of what to do: run or stay. The old man straightened himself and threw off his grey cloak. His raiment was white and he shone fiercely, blinding them with the light. He held a mighty staff in his hand and his hair and beard were pure white. Their eyes were recovering from the light and they couldn't see clearly.

"You are tracking the footsteps of two young hobbits," he said in a deep and booming voice. "They met somebody they did not expect. Does that comfort you?" Then he stepped forward, and it seemed that although he was still clothed in white, the brightness of the light had diminished and became bearable. At once he was recognizable as Gandalf, their long-departed friend and guide. All three of them fell to their knees, except for Nicole who was too shocked to move.

"Mithrandir," Legolas said happily.

"Gandalf," said Aragorn.

Gandalf turned to him. "Yes, that was my name. But I am not Gandalf the Grey. I am Gandalf the White. I am Saruman as he should have been."

Gimli hung his head in shame. "Gandalf, Gandalf, forgive me. I should not have been so suspicious."

"That is a good thing in these dangerous times, Gimli Gloin's son," the White Wizard comforted. "But do not worry. For you errand is not as urgent as it was, and there are matters more urgent. I have come back to you, when all seems lost in the turbulent waters of war. The tides are turning now, and I come to give what aid I can." He smiled at them and gently nudged the three hunters to get them to start walking back out of Fangorn Forest. That was when Gandalf finally noticed Nicole. "Nicole, my dear girl. So you have survived this far, have you?" he said.

Nicole grinned and smushed him in a huge hug. "Oh you're alive, you're alive, you're alive, Gandalf! And you're here!" she exclaimed happily, taking a step back from him. "Though you could have gone a little easy on the bleach. You are WHITE, it's so.... white," she finished lamely and laughed.

"Yes, yes, I am here. And I see Pippin was correct," he said with a mysterious smile.

"What do you mean? Is he ok? How's Merry?"

"Both hobbits are fine, I assure you. I only refer to a comment Pippin made a long, long time ago, when we were still descending from Caradhras," he chuckled softly and continued as they walked at a slow pace through the trees. "He said you were an angel. And the similarities are incredible. Light, grace, elegance."

"I still don't get it."

"Surely you have noticed by now! You are an Elf, Nicole. Though I cannot understand how it happened, I guess it to be the work of the Valar, so that you would be accustomed more to Middle Earth."

Nicole sighed wearily. "Yeah, I'm an Elf. That seems to be giving me a bit of a problem lately." She and Gandalf hung back a bit, letting the others walk ahead of them. Gandalf patiently waited for her to elaborate. "Aragorn and Legolas knew since LothLorien. But Gimli only found out a little while ago. He... he's not taking it very well. He won't talk to me at all. I don't understand why. He seems chummy with Legolas. But he hasn't spoken to me at all. It's not like I asked for this. Is that what he thinks? I didn't want to be an Elf!" Her words were whispered furiously, to keep Legolas from overhearing and telling Aragorn and Gimli. Nicole pressed one hand against her eyes while the other arm was linked with Gandalf's.

"It is alright, my dear," he said soothingly, patting her arm. "Have you tried telling him that you did not want the change? Perhaps he would be more sympathetic. And... why did you not tell him sooner? The two of you used to be very close friends, did you not? You thought of him as a brother, and yet you would not tell him of such an important thing. Have you considered that Gimli might feel betrayed?"

Nicole was silent. _Dammit, why do the older people always have to be right? Or maybe it's just because everybody is older than me, and I'm always acting stupid. I guess it's time to go talk with Gimli, then. _She made up her mind that on their next bit of free time, she would try to fix the mess. That time came closer than she thought, for they broke out from under the cover of trees and stood at the edge of the plains again. Gandalf whistled strangely and they waited in silent anticipation. A magnificent grey horse appeared, riding towards them. With the steed came three other horses: the horses of Aragorn, Legolas, Gimli and Nicole.

"Our horses have returned! We believed them to have left us when we entered into Fangorn," Aragorn said.

"They return because their master calls them," Gandalf explained with pride in his voice. "For this is Shadowfax, last of the Mearas, lord of all horses." He stroked the nose of the grey stallion gently as the other horses approached the rest of them. "He has been a good friend through many journeys." He mounted and gestured for the others to do the same. "Come, we must ride now swiftly to the aid of Theoden King in Edoras. With some luck, Rohan may yet recover from this pillaging."

Nicole mounted Fuchsia easily and they started to gallop after Gandalf. When she glanced to the side, she dismally noted that Gimli and Legolas still rode on one horse. _Dammit... there's no getting around it now, I guess. But why Legolas? Couldn't Gimli have ridden with Aragorn? I can't ask him to switch seats. I can't ask him to ride with me, either. That's no way to lead a proper conversation. So do I let it be, and talk with Gimli the next chance I get? Or do I risk being the victim of endless torment from Legolas, and talk to Gimli now? _As Nicole debated silently, Gandalf explained how he came to be back on Middle Earth. Somehow, he had some role to play yet, and the Valar had sent him back to help in what was left of the Quest. _Ok, if Gandalf can come back from... wherever he was, you can have a simple conversation. It can't be that hard. _Nicole took a steady breath and maneuvered Fuchsia next to Arod.

"Gimli?" she asked nervously. The Dwarf was silent and would not look at her. She spared a second to glare threateningly at Legolas, then turned her attention back to Gimli. "Since you've been avoiding me for a while, I thought that we should talk before things got from bad to worse." 

Silence. 

"Fine, you don't have to say anything, just listen to me, please. I am... an Elf now. And, I don't know how or why it happened. But it did, and I've changed physically. I'm still the same Nicole on the inside. Jeez, just look at how I behave. I'm definitely still insane old Nicole." She paused, hoping he would finally say something. With a sigh, she continued. "I didn't ask for this, Gimli. I was happy to be a mortal and if you had seen my reaction to this change... Gimli, I didn't mean for this to happen. Do you understand?" Nicole bit her lip and struggled to keep her face neutral and not on the verge of tears. "I don't want to be an Elf," she whispered quietly, not knowing if the words would reach the Dwarf's ears or not. "Do you know why, Gimli? Because being an Elf would mean trouble. Men and Dwarves have not been on the best of terms with Elves lately. And my two best friends in Middle Earth were a Man and a Dwarf. One of these brothers I left behind at Parth Galen, where he was slain in battle. The other brother I am losing now, because he refuses to acknowledge me." Nicole reached out to touch Gimli's shoulder. "Gimli, I didn't tell you because I thought you would freak out, and you did, and that you wouldn't want to be friends anymore, which you don't." 

Silence. 

"So that's my story. Go ahead and kill me now," she ended sourly. _And that would be the result of your brilliant advice, Gandalf. Thank you, Oh Wise One. _She waited patiently for either physical or verbal assault from Gimli.

The Dwarf hung his head. In his usual gruff tone, he said, "I was under the impression that you trusted me, and trusted in our friendship as well. Aye, even a bond of friendship as strong as family, perhaps. But your deceit... lass, that is not easily forgiven."

"I know, so that's why you can kill me, but--" Nicole began.

"But just as grace and speed comes easily to Elves, some things come easily for me." Gimli interrupted her and finally looked up. "You are forgiven, Nicole, and I hope that I am forgiven as well. I should not have judged you because you were different." Though it was hard to tell because of his beard, Gimli grinned. "Although you are different now, indeed you seem a more serious person. Maybe your ... transformation... is not as bad as I had thought."

Nicole grinned madly and leaned across the distance between the two horses, urging Fuchsia a little closer to Arod. She threw her arms around Gimli, nearly falling off her horse, and hugged him tightly. She couldn't find anything to say that would tell him how much she appreciated his forgiveness.

Gimli grunted softly. "Lass? Nicole?" His hands tugged at my arms. His words sounded... broken. "Nicole, could you-- not squeeze so-- tightly?"

Feeling embarassed, Nicole pulled away. _No wonder Gimli sounded strangled. I didn't know I was that strong... hehe, Nicole, Bear-Hugging Champion of the World. Yup, that's me. _"Sorry," she muttered but kept on grinning. "Gimli..." she searched her vocabulary for praise worthy of the Dwarf. She settled for, "you rock," and a wicked grin. Her task now completed, she threw Gimli another grin and directed Fuchsia away from Arod. _Don't get me wrong, I'm thrilled to pieces that Gimli and me are pals again, but I haven't forgotten who else is sitting on that horse. Ugh, no more time with Legolas than absolutely necessary. It's a shame that Gimli and Legolas are friends, or else I would have had an ally. Besides, I have to go talk with Gandalf. Hang on, let's try being 'serious' as Gimli put it. I have need of conversing with my eldest companion. Huh, not bad. _Nicole snapped herself out of her thoughts and urged her horse to ride faster so that she could keep pace with Gandalf.

He smiled at her with twinkling eyes. "I take it things went well with Gimli," he said confidently.

"Yeah Gandalf, things went very well," she replied. "I just wanted to say thanks for helping me out." She smirked and tried to repeat the phrase she had used frequently in the past. "You're admirable moral of supporting," Nicole frowned. "No, that's not right at all. Your morable admiring of support? No." She groaned in frustration. "Your moraling support of admire? What the hell!? Why can't I say it right anymore? Your support of admirable morals. NO. Damn, what was it?" Gandalf eyed her warily, either amused or horrified by her language and outburst. He probably thought that being an Elf would civilize her. Nicole could've snorted in laughter. _Yeah right. Me, civilized. Not now, not ever. _She still tried to remember the phrase. Silence fell on the swiftly moving riders. The wind whipped past them and suddenly Nicole shouted. "YOUR MORAL SUPPORT IS ADMIRABLE!!! Ha, beat that, you stupid memory! I remembered," she said smugly. The Company gave her strange glances. "It's true, Gandalf's moral support _was _admirable."

"Thank you, Nicole," he said absently. "We must ride on ever swiftly. Let us hope that Theoden's rule is not yet failing."

"And if it is?" Nicole asked.

"Then we have work to do."

**A/N: is it me, or is this chapter really short? O.o *hangs head in shame* I suck at writing touching-reunion type scenes. Oh well, I tried. And at least Nic and Gimli are friends again. It was weird to write them as non-friends. *shudders* I Hope I never have to do that again. *grins* Actually, there will be something similar in the future. The far-distant future, but it's an idea that's already been flying about in my head for a while. But that will probably only happen in... maybe some 15 chapters or so. Wow... this story is getting long. *grins* I feel semi-accomplished. Now all I have to do is ignore my school work (very easy to do) and keep writing this fic. Thanks to all my reviewers! Please keep reviewing, and if you think it's been too long since I've updated, e-mail me and yell at me to type faster! Thanks again! ~MoI~**


	24. The Chapter In Which Nothing Much Happen...

**A/N: It's now officially 2nd Semester for me. And I have a project from a first semester class that I haven't handed in yet. Hmm... maybe I won't be killed. Although I probably will. If I don't update because I'm dead, you guys can have anything you want... I have this really cool Legolas poster, and of course, copies of LotR movies. I'm sure everyone of you has that too, since you are such devoted Lord of the Rings fans, right? *wink wink* **

***prances around computer, gleefully tossing handfuls of confetti into the air* _ONE HUNDRED REVIEWS!!!_! I'm so happy! Wow. That's so cool. :D I'm going to try to get this chapter up by... *checks calendar* Valentine's Day. Or February 14th, if some of you don't really celebrate it. *sighs* like me. But being single is good... really: this way I can drool over Legolas however much I want to and no one can yell at me! MUAHAHAHA!!! I think I'm insane. Actually, no I don't think at all. But if I was insane, it would be due to the fact that I have a HUNDRED REVIEWS. I can't stop grinning like an idiot. So if you want to see me now, picture this: fangirl surrounded by an ever-growing mountain of homework, scattered confetti, and a stupid grin on her face as she types madly away. Wow... that creeps me out. **

**OK, I bore myself with talking. Or writing... whatever, same difference. What I mean to say is: ON WITH THE STORY!!!!**

**Disclaimer: I hate school, I love M. E., I don't own LotR, can't you see? (Alright, so it doesn't rhyme perfectly. I tried.)**

**Home Sweet Home**

**Chapter Twenty-Four ~ The Chapter In Which Nothing Much Happens**

They rode for three days, resting twice for the nights. Their horses grew weary but followed Shadowfax wherever he went. They were allowed to graze and wander as they wish when the travelers rested. It was during the second night that Nicole took her dagger and carefully inspected the sharpness of the blade. Gandalf was standing at the edge of their camp, looking towards Edoras, which they would reach tomorrow, and the others were sleeping. 

"What are you doing?" a voice asked her softly.

She twitched nervously and looked over her shoulder. _I thought Aragorn was sleeping. That guy is always messing with my brilliant plans. It's a good thing he hasn't found out about my plans for Edoras yet. I feel sorry for those horse-people. They're in for it. _Nicole turned her attention back to the blade. "Nothing," she said with as much innocence as she could muster.

He raised an eyebrow. "Nicole."

She squirmed under his stern gaze and sighed finally in defeat. "Fine fine, but honestly, it's none of your business," she said. She held up the dagger in one hand and grabbed a fistful of her long hair in her other hand. "I'm trying to figure out a way to hack all of this junk off." She glared at his shocked expression. "Oh, do NOT tell me that I can't cut my hair because that wouldn't be acting like a proper lady. All I want is to trim off maybe a foot and a half so that I don't have hair in my face constantly, it's just--"

"You cannot be serious."

Nicole gave him a blank look. "Haha, I am such an amusing person," she said sarcastically. "Yea, I'm serious." She acted on her seriousness by holding a strand of hair in front of her and slicing 6 inches off.

Aragorn's mouth opened and closed.

"You look like a fish out of water, buddy."

Finally, he found words. "But you cannot. It is unacceptable. Not only for a woman, but for an Elf even more."

Nicole growled and rolled her eyes. "Do I look like I care? The hair is long, I usually end up eating it, and it's useless and a hindrance when I fight."

She shouldn't have said that. "You are not going to fight. Where would you fight anyway? There are no battles now."

Nicole clamped her mouth shut. _Fine, let him win for now and just go fight the next time he tells you no. It's that simple. And afterwards, he can kill you for acting like an idiot. _With a final disappointed sigh, Nicole sheathed her dagger and dropped her hair. "You do realize that I look like an idiot now because I have one chunk of uneven hair, right?" she grumbled.

Aragorn had the nerve to chuckle. "As I recall, that is your own fault. Get some rest, we ride on tomorrow to Edoras." He went to sleep again. Or at least he looked like he was sleeping. You never know with Aragorn.

Nicole laid down and shifted, trying to get comfortable. "You'll see, we get to Edoras and I'm the only one with long hair," she grumbled quietly. "You fashion-ruiner. If Éowyn cut her hair, you wouldn't care. If Arwen cut her hair, you wouldn't care. But Nicole isn't allowed, oh no, she must be a _lady_. Chauvinistic pig." With that, she shifted once more and fell asleep with her eyes open. And it still freaked her out.

Nicole woke unhappily the next morning, with full-length hair, and was forced to ride on.

"Gandalf says we're almost there," Gimli informed her.

"That's great, but that doesn't mean I'm going to be cheerful," Nicole replied, laying on Fuchsia's neck, trying to sleep as she held on to the reins half-heartedly.

Gimli raised an eyebrow.

"How come everyone can do that except for me? I can't raise my eyebrow..." she stuck her tongue out. "And I'm not cheerful this morning because I am deeply grieved by the lack of proper sleeping conditions. Having a bed would be awfully nice." She closed her eyes and tried to catch a few zzzz's.

"Edoras. Be wary of your words, Théoden does not accept visitors easily in these days," Gandalf interrupted her reverie. Reluctantly, she sat properly and paid attention to what was being said. "Keep your weapons hidden and sheathed. With a bit of luck, we may yet convince Rohan to fight against this invasion." They rode forwards, coming to a village that was built on top of a large hill. At the topmost peak, a large building with a golden thatched roof gleamed in the sunlight. A tall wooden wall surrounded the town, making the otherwise welcoming town look very un-welcoming.

"Cheery place," Nicole muttered, and pulled the hood of her cloak up again. Even though Gimli knew she was an Elf now, a woman, a she-Elf traveling with a group of men that were not her family was definitely going to be frowned upon. _If I can just pass for a normal traveling dude until we get to the Golden Hall, maybe Éowyn would sympathize with me and let me take a bath. _Nicole's eyes glazed over as she thought of comfy beds and hot baths. 

At the gates of the town, they had to wait for a few minutes as Gandalf talking with the door warden and convinced the man to go tell Théoden that they were coming to bother him. While they waited, a banner with a white horse on a green background drifted to the grassy ground.

"And that's not foreshadowing at all," Nicole whispered sarcastically. Either way, they were allowed passage up to the Shiny Building, as Nicole has renamed it. The people that they saw were less than cheerful and wearing drab grey colors, further promoting the unhappy feeling.

"You'd find more cheer in a graveyard," Gimli noted.

"I'd agree with you Gimli, but graveyards are more cheerful than this," Nicole replied. They dismounted their horses when they reached the Shiny Building, and the horses were led away to the stables where they had originally come from. The five of them climbed the stairs and met the guards sitting at the top. These door wardens had their swords strapped on and wore light armor. The feeling of being unwelcome increased a notch.

"I am Háma, Door Warden of the Golden Hall," said one man. "Here you must lay aside your weapons ere you go before Théoden King."

Legolas handed over his knives, bow and quiver with no trouble, Gimli grumbled for a moment, but reluctantly set his axe alongside the bow against the wall. Aragorn warned the Rohirrim that no one was allowed to touch his sword (_He's very possessive, actually. I wonder what he would do if I tried to take his ugly coat... hmm, now there's an idea,_Nicole thought). Gandalf laid Glamdring beside Andúril. 

Nicole sighed, _this might take a while. _She put her bow down and unstrapped her quiver, then took off her knives, and then fiddled for a moment with her shoe, trying to pull out the dagger hidden there. When she straightened up again, her hood fell down and she heard Háma make a noise of surprise. Nicole also pulled out the knife that she had hidden in the small of her back and put it down with the rest of her collection. She tried (and failed) to raise an eyebrow. "Never realized I had so much stuff," she commented and shrugged. "Take care of that for me, will ya, buddy?" she asked. Nicole rolled her eyes when she saw the shock on Háma's face. "I was under the impression that Rohan used to have Shield-maidens who were skilled warriors. Why are you so surprised that a woman can carry weapons?"

He just gave her an odd glance and turned his attention to Gandalf. "Your staff."

Aragorn chuckled. "Prudence is fine, but this is foolishness. You cannot part an old man from his walking stick." If people like Háma grumbled, he would have. But people like Háma don't grumble, so he just begrudgingly opened the huge wooden doors and let them enter the dark hall. Gandalf really played up the whole old-man bit, leaning heavily on his staff and having Legolas help him walk. Despite this apparent frailty, the five of them were on full alert, noting the men along the sides of the hall who regarded them with suspicion. Another notch was added to the unhappy-factor. Splendid.

"The courtesy of your hall is somewhat lessened of late, Théoden King," Gandalf said.

_It's a shock that people even understand him when he uses words that big, _thought Nicole, seeing that the men were approaching them as the five tried to get to the dais where Théoden sat. The men of Rohan came forward in an attempt to keep Gandalf from their king, because now his walking stick was being used as a wizard's staff, and he didn't look at all old or frail. The defense that Nicole's group put up looked like a mixture of bar fighting, ballet, and football (the American kind). That means that Aragorn solidly punched anyone that got in his way, Legolas looked unbelievably graceful (_stupid Elf_), and Gimli tackled people, most notably Wormtongue, who had been whispering in Théoden's ear all the time and had recently tried to run away. Nicole just walked calmly behind them all, struggling not to grumble about not being able to fight because none of the men approached her because she was a woman.

To her benefit, she noticed that Éowyn was held back by Aragorn when she tried to move forward. With a sigh, Nicole muttered, "Well at least he's mean to all females."

"You have no power here, Gandalf Stormcrow," the king croaked. _Hehe... he croaked, like a frog. So he's the Frog Prince's father. I wonder if he has a son that will turn into a handsome prince if I kiss him... another Plan. Rohan is very good at supplying those,_Nicole rambled, as she often did when big words confused her.

"I release you from this spell," the White Wizard said, to no effect except getting the Frog King to cackle evilly. Gandalf got angry right about then and finally showed his true colors. Or lack thereof. He cast aside his grey cloak and unveiled the bright intensity of his raiment; his power radiated from him in the form of white light. "I shall draw you Saruman, as poison is drawn from a wound. I survived your hold, and he will survive also. Leave him, Saruman, be gone!" He jabbed his staff forward, nearly, but not quite hitting Théoden, who finally looked sane again.

As soon as she saw that her uncle was getting un-old, Éowyn rushed forward to help him. 

"Uncle... uncle, you are well again," Éowyn said with misty eyes.

Théoden touched her cheek affectionately. "I know your face..." recognition flitted through his face, "Éowyn, sister daughter, I have long --"

They were having a really touching reunion that nearly had Nicole in tears, but Wormtongue ruined the moment totally by trying to get away and forcing Gimli to repeatedly bang the spy's head against the floor, creating a racket.

Théoden's eyes shifted from his niece to his former advisor. If looks could kill, Wormtongue would have been boiled alive twelve times, skewered four times, and drowned three times. Needless to say, Théoden tried to grab the first sword he could get to, which Háma provided by giving him a fancy and very heavy-looking sword with a hilt designed in the shaped of two horse heads. Gimli happily obliged to Théoden's request that Wormtongue "get the hell out" (except said in eloquent language) and threw the grimy man out the doors. Théoden, now looking young(er) and fairly capable of handling a sword, descended the stairs as Wormtongue rolled down disgracefully. The sword was still clutched in his hand, he glared at Wormtongue furiously, and lifted his sword to hack his head off, ignoring the pathetic pleas for mercy. Nicole was waiting for the stroke to fall and knew that the spy of Saruman deserved what was coming his way, but it was not to be.

Aragorn leapt in front of Wormtongue, protecting him from Théoden's wrath. "No, my lord, no!" At the king's furious look that demanded explanation, Aragorn continued, "enough blood has been spilt on his account. It is not worth it." Théoden backed down and Aragorn turned to Wormtongue, as though to help him up but he fled through the crowd which had assembled, most likely returning to his master to report on his failure. Aragorn bowed to Théoden and the townsfolk followed suit.

Théoden ignored them and looked around, suddenly noticing something. "Where is Théodred? Where is my son?" No one wanted to answer him. Éowyn came up to him timidly to explain.

"C'mon lass, let us see to the horses," Gimli said gruffly, nudging Nicole towards the stables.

"But Gimli, I wanna hear--"

"The horses, lass, think of the horses," he replied, now completely shoving her. 

Nicole let herself be led away, knowing that finding out that your son is dead is something that Théoden would want to hear in privacy. "Fine, fine. But you owe me, buddy," she said and Gimli nodded quickly. "Remember that, Gimli. You owe me," she repeated, and stuck out her hand to shake. Gimli raised an eyebrow and shook her hand suspiciously. They spent an hour with the horses, but Gimli left after that, saying he needed fresh air. Nicole thought what Gimli 'needed' was ale. She stayed behind and sat on the rail of Fuchsia's stall, leaning on the horse's back. Her perch may have been awkward, but it was not so bad that Nicole couldn't fall asleep. Which she did, about five minutes after Gimli left. The Rohirrim left her alone, either because they had better things to do, or because they would rather keep their distance from the strange woman who had come from nowhere. Plus, she slept with her eyes open, and since her hair was still covering her eyes, they didn't even want to check if she was spaced out or if she had died without them noticing. Her blissful nap was broken off when Gimli came back two hours later, muttering something about a funeral.

"Why, who died?" Nicole asked and then clamped her mouth shut, remembering Théodred. She meekly followed Gimli, but when she found out that she was supposed to be part of the funeral procession and was to walk behind Théodred with Théoden, Éowyn, Gandalf, Aragorn, Legolas and Gimli, she refused. "I don't even know him, I've never even seen him, why am I supposed to be involved? Shouldn't some of his friends go instead?" she whispered in a harsh argument with Aragorn.

"Calm yourself," Aragorn said, catching her arm as she paced incessantly. "They want you to be there. These people have hardly ever seen Elves, and to see them attending the funeral of one of their most beloved lords makes them have hope. If they see you and Legolas, both Elves, then they will hope that Men are not yet forgotten, and Elves will still come to their aid and honor past alliances. They need it Nicole, do it for the people."

She stared hard into his eyes; Aragorn was telling the truth. "Fine, I'll go," she said with a frown. "But for the record, I was against this from the beginning." Nicole followed Aragorn, took her weapons back from Háma, and fell into line in the funeral procession. Her brow furrowed as they walked slowly and solemnly to the burial mound. _I shouldn't be here... _here gaze fell on the body being carried ahead of them. _He shouldn't be here... he shouldn't be dead. Th__éodred looks like he's only twenty-something, but he's already dead. That's nearly my age. _Nicole repressed a shudder and forced her thoughts to be quiet for the rest of the service. She bowed her head in respect when Éowyn sang a lament for her fallen cousin and was reminded terribly of Boromir's death. Nicole blinked the tears away when they walked back to the town, leaving Théoden with Gandalf at the freshly covered mound.

They were not doing much, and no one was paying much attention to Nicole, so she wandered around the Golden Hall (a.k.a. Shiny Building), looking for someone who could lead her to a room with a bed and a bath. Within ten minutes, she was trying to stomp (unsuccessfully because apparently Elves can't stomp their feet) around the hallways. _I should have remembered that my sense of direction is equivalent to zero. All I wanted was some rest and a nice hot bath, but what I get instead is finding myself in a huge Shiny Building with no idea where the hell I am. Lovely. Brilliant. Only I would end up like this. _Finally, Nicole ended up sitting down with her back to the wall, in the middle of a hallway, and let her eyes glaze over while she got some much needed, albeit uncomfortable, rest.

"What are you doing here?" asked a harsh voice, breaking Nicole out of her light sleep.

She was cranky, not having slept much lately, not getting a bath in way longer than she cared to admit, and not having anything to do while the men planned stuff. Talking to her harshly may not have been the best decision. "I'm trying to get some freakin' sleep, since there's nowhere else and no one seems to care anyway, 'cause I'm just a woman, so I can't go and be involved in their battle plans. What are _you _doing here?" she managed to retort, and then noticed (with much embarassment) that she had been addressing Éowyn. _Oh shit. Nicely done Nicole. You just got yourself kicked out of Rohan AND a shieldmaiden who's pissed off because of you. Congratulations. _Nicole blushed, stood up quickly and did a clumsy curtsy. "Sorry, I didn't know who I was talking to," she apologized, then added, "milady."

Éowyn looked at her coolly. "You arrived with Gandalf Stormcrow, did you not?"

"Yea, that's me."

"How long have been traveling in the company of men?"

"Er... hang on a sec, I don't know what day it is now. But I'm guessing since late December? Early January? Something like that." (A/N: I'm not completely sure about the timeline, or how it fits in with my story, or how it fits with the weather, or anything like that. Sorry.)

"Three and a half months?" (A/N: let's pretend it's been that long). "That is quite a long journey. I imagine it was not very safe for a woman, be she Elf or human, to travel with men in dangerous lands."

It didn't really sound like a question, but it seemed like it needed a reply anyways. Nicole shrugged. "Nah, it's not that bad. We had a couple of fights: down in Moria, at Parth Galen, and besides, I had training in Lorien so it wasn't that bad." Nicole finished, and then remembered something. "Milady," she added. _That's so annoying... do I always have to add that on to everything I say? The world is gonna turn into a world of milords and miladies. Whatever happened to using NAMES??? _Being reminded again of something, Nicole added on to her addition. "I'm Nicole, by the way. Nice to meet you." She didn't even bother trying to curtsy again, it was too awkward.

"I am Éowyn, sister-daughter of Théoden King. You can fight? I did not know that She-Elves were warriors."

Nicole gestured to her weapons. "I don't carry these things around for nothing. And most She-Elves don't fight. I had a hard time convincing Celeborn to let me train, but Lathanir and Haldir helped me out. Why? Can you fight too? I need somebody to practice with, Aragorn won't let me fight, but I'm going to go anyways. I haven't figured out how, but I'll find a way." As usual, Nicole talked too much about nothing at all.

Éowyn's face changed from distant curiosity to a more friendly expression. "Perhaps we may be able to spar one day," she replied, a bit more respect in her voice now. She looked Nicole up and down. "At the moment, however, it might be best to find you a room, some clothes, and a bath."

"Wicked cool," Nicole said with a grin. "Oh right, sorry, I mean: milady, I am most thankful for your kindness." Nicole curtsied again, looking stupid because of her clothing.

"It might be good also, to address each other by our names. I have heard of your deeds from the Dwarf, and from what he tells me, we are equals, at least to him. But I must say that I also did not know that Elves and Dwarves were on good terms."

"We weren't. But Gimli knew me back when I was a hu-- when I was hungry for friends, so I didn't think much of it." Nicole smiled innocently, while having a mental tirade. _Stupid brain. I almost said that I was a human... that would make her lose all respect for me and just think I was insane. But then again, who would believe me if I told them I was sane? _Nicole followed Éowyn through the halls, this time committing to memory all the turns she took. Eventually, they reached a room that was well-lit with a comfortable looking bed and a partitioned bathtub. Nicole got so excited that she jumped into the bathtub, fully clothed and with weapons, not caring that there wasn't any water in it.

"Are you well?' Éowyn asked with concern.

"I'm splendiferous, and you?" Nicole replied leaning back comfortably with her eyes closed.

"I shall have a maid draw you a bath. Perhaps you would like me to find you some dresses as well?"

Reluctantly, Nicole climbed out of the tub and leaned her weapons against the wall. "The bath sounds great, thanks. But no dresses. Maybe just a fresh shirt and tunic, if you could find those? They'll probably be too big on me, but I hate dresses." Éowyn looked skeptical. She hurriedly added, "no offence, of course. They just... don't look good on my figure. Er.. my seamstress makes me dresses specially for me because I have... a deformed back. And any other dress just emphasizes the problem, so I prefer to wear men's clothes to disguise it." She slouched slightly, hoping that she had put up a good enough act to be believed, but she seriously doubted it. 

Éowyn smiled slightly. "You are not quite convincing when you act. Besides, I know enough of Elves that they do not have deformities." 

Nicole posed dramatically. "What can I say? I was made for the Oscars. I'm ready for my close-up." She kept posing for invisible cameras, but got distracted when the maid that Éowyn had summoned came to the room with two buckets of hot water. "Oooh... pretty pretty water! Lemme in, lemme in!" Nicole squeaked and nearly jumped in again.

"You behave almost like a child," Éowyn noted, close to laughter now.

"I do not!" Nicole cried, trying again to stomp her foot on the ground but failed. "I am mature and wise, and um... fair... and... wise. Oh no wait, I said that already." She bit her lip. "Oh fine, I do act like a child. Does it really matter? I look like I don't act my age, but I do, I swear I do." She paused and pouted. Then she grumbled, "Just ask His Royal Prince-ness. Stupid kid keeps calling me a child. I'll get him too... one day... hey look, the tub's full!" As she had been talking, the maid had been going to and from the room bringing more hot water, and now the tub was full and steaming.

"I leave you now. There should be spare clothing in that trunk," Éowyn said, pointing to the trunk at the foot of the bed. "I trust you will be able to find your way back to the main hall." With that, she and the maid exited, leaving Nicole with her precious bathtub.

Grinning broadly, Nicole undressed and sank happily into the hot water. _Oh hell yeah. All that journeying around was worth just this one bath. I should invent portable bath tubs or something, so even when I'm out on the road I can turn myself into a prune. _She stayed in the water until it got chilly, washed her hair quickly, and stepped out, drying herself. Nicole had actually turned into a prune and she examined her wrinkled hands. _Yuck. I look like the Frog King before he went back to normal. _But her hands smoothed out quickly, probably due to her Elven qualities. She got dressed, taking a cream shirt and dark brown sleeveless tunic from the trunk, finding them a bit big, but securing them with her belt. She towel dried her hair as much as possible and then left it down to air-dry. 

The main hall wasn't as hard to find as she thought it would be, and along with the hall, she found in it Éowyn, Théoden, Gandalf, Aragorn, Gimli, Legolas, and two kids.

"Hey guys, what's up?" she asked, smiling brightly and taking a seat beside Gimli, who passed her a mug of ale which she pushed back to him, instead taking some meat from his plate. "Thanks Gimli. So where'd the little people come from?" Nicole asked, nodding her head in the direction of the children.

"Their village was attacked," Éowyn replied from her place beside the children. "They had no warning. The troops of Orcs are becoming more bold. We cannot stand by watching but not acting."

"You must fight against this threat that grows ever more potent. These are your lands, your people, that are suffering. The time has come for battle," Gandalf advised.

"I do not wish to risk the lives of more of my people when there is not war yet to fight," Théoden answered, getting annoyed. Nicole got the feeling that they had been discussing this same topic before she had entered the hall, and the king hadn't been happy about it.

"Open war is already upon you, whether you wish it or not," Aragorn replied. "There is a band of your men riding North as we speak, and they are eager to return and fight for their country."

Théoden was getting angrier and angrier. And understandably too: people kept telling him what to do, leaving him without a moment to speak for himself. "When I last checked, Théoden, not Aragorn, held power in Rohan. I would advise you to remember that," he nearly shouted. Aragorn backed down a bit. Théoden continued with a more defeated tone of voice. "They are too far away, even now."

"But the armies aren't attacking Rohan yet, are they? Why do we have to go to war immediately?" Nicole asked. Aragorn gave her a look that clearly said we-does-not-include-you-because-you-are-not-allowed-to-fight.

Théoden sighed wearily. "News arrived early this morning that the forces stationed at the crossing of the river Isen have fallen. Now is the time to strike Isengard and rid ourselves of the threat of Saruman. Afterwards, what strength we have left may be gathered to face the threat of the East. Alas, there is naught to do now save fight the enemy."

Silence fell and everybody looked very grim. Nicole clapped her hands. "Right-o, to war! Let's go," she said, but got no reply. Nicole stood up. "Well? Aren't we supposed to go fight the good fight? Burn our enemies to the ground? Let them rot in hell? Kick their ass? We have to do _something_! Why are you all just sitting around? _Move_."

"Éowyn, you shall stay here in Edoras, and be as their lord. If I do not return, Éomer shall take my place. If we both fall, the people of Rohan may choose their own leader as they please," Théoden said, and sent a messenger to tell all able-bodied men and 'stout lads' to prepare to ride to Isengard. He turned to Nicole. "I do not believe I know you, and although you appear eager to ride to battle, you will stay here. We cannot afford to have a woman ride with us."

Nicole gaped at him. "You can't afford to NOT have me! I can fight! And so can Éowyn! Why are we supposed to stay here?" she asked furiously.

"Nicole, NO," Aragorn said, and began ushering her out of the hall.

"But... but---"

"No."

"Meanie." A thought occurred to Nicole. "Gimli! You owe me! Let me ride with you!"

"Lass, I would not have you in danger," the Dwarf replied.

"You're a meanie too." She stuck her tongue out at him. Eventually, Nicole was dragged out of the hallway by Éowyn. She kept Nicole busy for the several hours it took for the men to prepare themselves by sending Nicole around the town with a maid. Nicole's response was a grumbled 'meanie' (her word-of-the-day apparently, since it was used so frequently). The maid had to leave to begin preparing the evening meal so Nicole wandered around the stables, which were now mostly empty except for a few young colts and old horses, and surprisingly, Fuchsia.

"Hey, Fuchsia, what're you still doing here, boy?" Nicole asked, stroking Fuchsia's mane.

"That horse was wild... he wouldn't let anyone come near," a small voice answered her.

Nicole turned to see a little girl. "He's letting me come close. I hope that means that he trusts me," Nicole smiled and shoved her hair behind her ears unconsciously. "What's your name?"

The girl's eyes widened at the sight of Nicole's ears and she scampered off.

Nicole sighed. "Fuchsia, being an Elf royally sucks," she mumbled. Fuchsia nudged a saddle lying on a rack, directing Nicole's attention to it. For the first time, and without a witness to prove it, Nicole raised an eyebrow. "I like the way you think, horsie."

Half an hour later, Nicole had prepared everything and was standing at the gates of Edoras with Éowyn, watching the men ride away. "Well, Éowyn, it was great to meet you, and I'd love to stay and chat, but I've got to go," Nicole said quickly.

"What do you mean? There are no pressing matters at the moment. You don't mean..." she trailed off. 

Nicole whistled sharply, stooped to pick up her weapons, which she had concealed in a mound of hay just on the inside of the gates. She strapped on her quiver and knives quickly and shoved her dagger into her boot, slinging her bow over her shoulder. Right on cue, a horse pounded down the dirt road and skidded to a stop in front of Nicole. She swung herself easily into the saddle. "Bye Éowyn, see ya later!" she yelled and spurred Fuchsia after the receding line of warriors. _Come on Fuchsia, catch those Rohirrim!_Nicole cheered silently. In a more reserved tone, she thought, _I hope Gimli won't get too angry..._

**A/N: First off: Apologies.**

**A) I know that I promised to get this out by Feb 14th, but if you know me, then you know that I've been suffering a lot of stress and lack of sleep for the past week or so, and this is *honestly* the first time I've had a chance to reach the computer in a week. A WEEK. And the saddest thing is: I had two sentences left to write and I couldn't finish them for the longest time. So I'm very very sorry that this chapter is late.**

**B) As I just mentioned, I've been stressed and sleep-deprived. So the quality of this chapter is absolutely horrible, there is no humor at all, and half of what happens is not important and/or doesn't make sense. I'm sorry about that, I'll try to make the next chapter more... real. :P**

**C) *sigh* Don't kill me, please. I'm already dead anyways. I have a TON of stuff to do (projects, tests, shows, etc etc etc). I think that the closest time to the next update will be first week of March, maybe the first weekend of March. So you'll have to wait until then. :( sorry.**

**D) I tried to write this chapter going off the book, but then I thought it was exactly copying word-for-word, so I changed it. Then I realized I was writing it by the movie script. What I ended up with was neither. A lot of the stuff is missing (ie, Aragorn and Éowyn's fight scene-thing), but I think the gist of the story might still be there somewhere. At least Éowyn stays in Edoras, properly, like in the book. I'll figure out a way for her and the people of Edoras to get to Helm's Deep... somehow. I hope. *ponders*... We'll see... Anyways, this is me apologizing for writing a very confusing and hole-filled plot.**

**OK, now that's done. Secondly: Actual Author's Note: I'm tired and I'm cranky and I think this chapter sucks. I also think you should agree with me on that particular point. Either way, reviews are much appreciated. Most of the excitement of getting 100 reviews has drained away, but that's because I'm too tired to feel any emotion except anger. But I sincerely appreciate your comments, suggestions, criticisms and so on and I want you to keep reviewing so that I know if I'm writing well or badly. Thanks.**

**I need sleep desperately. So I guess I'll see you all in three weeks. G'night. ~MoI~**


	25. The Freedom to PLAN

**A/N: Many many MANY people have asked me if Nicole is ever going to be romantically-involved with anyone. To these people, I have one instruction: look at the category of this story. It isn't labeled Romance. *looks strict* You should know better, dear reviewers! *grins* But you'll be happy to know that there still WILL be romance, I just ask you to be patient for a while because... well, to tell the truth, the romance (or at least, the REAL romance in this story) is not coming for a while. *cringes and ducks as rotten vegetables are thrown at her* Eeek. Sorry. But eventually.... yea.**

**Home Sweet Home**

**Chapter Twenty-Five ~ The Freedom to PLAN**

"GET BACK THERE, **RIGHT NOW!!!**"

Nicole winced. "I had no idea you could yell so loudly, Aragorn," she said and rubbed her aching sensitive ears. Her arrival had not been taken well. That's an understatement. The truth of it was that Nicole had tried to be quiet about showing up, but Aragorn found out that some soldiers were talking about an Elf at the rear of the company, an elf who was not Legolas, and he had forced the entire line to stop. This brought all attention to her as she was dragged off her horse by two particularly strong Rohirrim and begrudgingly led to Aragorn. Mercilessly, he made her keep her hood down, so that everyone could see she was a woman, and then proceeded to protest (or really just yell) at her coming along with them. Most people were annoyed at this disruption, but Gimli seemed amused and Legolas was definitely having too much fun watching Nicole suffer.

"How 'bout we make a deal?" she tried. "I get to stay with ya'll and fight if I promise to stick close to Gimli for the whole battle-shin-dig?"

Aragorn's fury melted into a stony glare. "Nicole, leave now, or I swear I will have you tied to your horse and sent back," he said menacingly.

"Aw, c'mon, you don't mean that--"

"Yes, I do mean it. I do not care how old you think you are, but you are still too young to go into a battle--"

"You let me go with you from Lorien! How is this any diff--"

"The situation was different at that time--"

"No, it wasn't, it was dangerous too. I stayed with you then, I fought, and I LIVED. I didn't even get hurt!" Legolas raised an eyebrow at Nicole's defense, which was nothing but a bunch of lies. "Shut up, Elf!" she growled.

"I did not say anything."

"You implied it! Anyway, Aragorn, I'll be mature, I won't get myself in over my head, I'll even stick with Gim--"

"NO, do you hear me, Nicole? Turn around and go back to where you will be safe," Aragorn said this with such a commanding tone that Nicole seriously considered going back to Edoras for a second. But only for a second. Then she was back to her debate.

"You think I will be safe there? Sure enough, it is a mighty place, one that has withstood hundreds of years. But this war we are in... these assaults are bolder and stronger, and harder to defeat, than ever before. Is there any place that is still safe against such evil?" Nicole raised her voice more and turned her gaze to include the men of Rohan gathered around them. "And in the face of such evil, should I be a coward and hide? Seek shelter? Succumb to defeat? First of all, it is not in my nature to give up so easily. Simply being here is my proof of that. And secondly, I live here," Nicole said, sweeping an arm to indicate the entirety of Middle-Earth. "Do I not have the right to defend these lands? Do I not have the right to fight for the survival of my people and all others on this Middle-Earth? Furthermore, if I truly love life, as do all of my kind, would I really have a choice in this matter? There is not alternative. I must fight. I stay, Aragorn, with or without your leave."

Silence fell after her speech. The one Nicole had just made beat out all previous attempts at sounding mature and wise and the least bit Elf-like. A feeling of agreement with her statements spread through the assembled crowd. The King looked inspired, but Nicole doubted that he even remembered her name. Gimli grinned. Nicole could swear that she heard his thoughts saying, _that's it, lass. That is who you really are. _Along with maybe an absent-minded thought about ale or roast beef... Nicole grinned, both at her thought, Gimli's imagined thought, and her apparent victory.

Aragorn sighed wearily. "This battle may be too fierce for you, Nicole," his voice was tired, he sounded like he was making a last attempt to dissuade her. "I am uncertain that a life so young as yours should be thrown away so carelessly for the sake of fighting--"

She took a step closer to Aragorn and placed a hand on his shoulder. "For what other reason would I be here? Do you believe it possible that I have some other purpose? Why else would I have come... here... at this time," she said, lowering her voice with the last words, eyes twinkling, her words clearly speaking (to those who knew of it) of her strange arrival and change.

Aragorn nodded once. "There does appear to be some logic in what you say... but I ask you once more. I will grant you anything Nicole, if you return to Edoras," he said sincerely.

The wheels in Nicole's head churned furiously. _ Let me think about this for a second... Anything I want. He is supposed to be a king, so I could technically get riches like I wouldn't believe. I could get a palace. I could get Aragorn to ban Legolas from being within five miles of me. Yea, I could do all that, but then I'd be a lady. How could I get him to let me fight, though? He's not stupid enough that he'll just let me go off if I tell him I want to go fight. _She gave a silent moan of frustration. _This guy is like an annoying parent. He won't let me have any decision-making of my own! Wait a second... oh, genius! I love you, my genius brain!!!! _ She grinned broadly. "Such an offer is hard to refuse, Aragorn. You say you will grant me anything? May I have your word on that?" she asked.

"My word is given," he replied, mild curiosity expressed due to Nicole's sudden change.

"In that case, milord, I ask for my freedom, utterly complete from influences by yourself, or any other upon these lands," Nicole proclaimed.

A whisper spread through the crowd. The ranger's brow furrowed. He knew the plan was suspicious. "And if I grant it to you, though truly it should not be something given, you would surely follow us into battle. How can I be assured you would fulfill your promise to return to Edoras?"

"If you wish it, you may send someone with me, and see me past the gates of the town, into the very Golden Hall," she replied, keeping up the matureness. If he believed that she was really getting normal and sane, then he would be more quick to grant her request.

"I shall hold you to your word," he replied and instant success spread on Nicole's face. "But... to ensure that you do follow through, I shall have Gimli and Legolas accompany you for half of the journey back. Aside from that, you have your freedom."

Nicole grinned again. "We have an accord, my lord!" she exclaimed and grasped his hand firmly. She was happy to mount Fuchsia, who had been brought forward, and drew her hood up. "Very well, I shall now depart. I wish you fortitude in battle. May your swords shine brightly, Rohirrim!" she yelled into the mass of soldiers and turned her horse around and galloped off in the direction she came from.

With an expression of frustration, and his eyes saying that he only did this out of extreme loyalty to Aragorn, Legolas nodded to him and turned his horse around, leading Gimli and himself after Nicole.

"That woman is amazing," Gimli said with rough pride. "It is my belief that she's finally matured. She truly is an Elf."

Legolas did not care to respond and simply rolled his eyes.

Breaking her so-far-mature facade, Nicole paused a short distance away while she waited for Gimli and Legolas to catch up, and raised a hand in salute to Aragorn. "You rock, Aragonite!" she yelled, her voice easily carrying to him on the wind. She grinned at the pun. Seeing that her two companions were close by, she spurred Fuchsia into a swift gallop.

Her ears caught Gimli's gruff voice yelling to her. "Continue like that, Nicole, and you'll find yourself a better speech-maker than even Bilbo Baggins!"

Nicole grinned and deftly flipped herself around in her saddle so that she was sitting backwards. "Trust me, my friend, that happened once and will never happen again," she said gleefully. Her plan was working marvelously. Re-assuming her normal position on the horse, Nicole continued on towards Edoras silently working out the details of her plan. The three rode on as the time passed. Nicole pushed Fuchsia faster and faster, knowing that she needed to act fast and knowing that Gimli was probably dying to get back into battle. When they reached what was probably the half-way point, Nicole pulled Fuchsia to a stop.

"Alright, see, I've kept up my share of the bargain," Nicole said smugly.

Gimli sighed (gruffly). "Alas, that is true and we must keep ours."

"You are free to leave," Legolas proclaimed, only it didn't sound so wonderful when he said it.

"Come here, lass," Gimli said and gestured. Nicole dismounted and approached him, still seated on his horse. "Be safe, Nicole," he said and firmly shook her shoulder. _I guess that's the Dwarf equivalent of a handshake, _she mused. "This will not be the final time we meet."

Nicole grinned and punched his arm merrily. "Oh no, definitely not. You can count on that, Master Dwarf," she replied then moved back to mount Fuchsia. "Just remember that you owe me one, Gimli. I'm coming back to cash that in. Have fun! Don't get yourselves killed!" On that reassuring note, Nicole softly kicked Fuchsia and rode off into the nearly-sunset and towards Edoras.

"She is planning something," Legolas said with suspicion.

"Yes," Gimli replied happily, "yes she is."

**A/N: I apologize for this short and crummy chapter, but my writing skills have just died. May they rest in pieces. I need a bit of time off from this story, so I'm going on vacation. When I get back... in about two weeks, I will rewrite and repost this chapter because quite honestly, it's my worst and shortest ever. No plot, no character development, and Nicole's humor sucks.**

**Thank you, my loyal reviewers. If it wasn't for you, this chapter and many others would never have been written. Wish me luck!**

**~Morgaine of Ithil**


	26. The Two Toddlers

**A/N: After a very long and much deserved vacation, I'm back in the world of fanfiction. breathes a sigh of relief It's really scary out in the real world... I much prefer being here. :) If all my readers haven't run away, thanks to you all! I've been an extremely lazy person, but I think it's about time that we find out what Nicole has been up to, so without further ado.... we continue! Morgaine**

**Disclaimer: it's obvious by now. Only the incredibly insane stuff is mine.**

**Home Sweet Home**

**Chapter Twenty-Six: The Two Toddlers**

Nicole happily entered Rohan, grinning broadly even though the villagers were giving her stares again. No doubt they were wondering why the She-Elf had run from their town so quickly, and yet returned by herself and submitted to the will of her companions.

This time when Nicole approached the Shiny Building, there was no Door-Warden awaiting her arrival to take her weapons... there was nobody at all, in fact. So she just waltzed right in and headed for the front of the room, where a large table had been set up and sheaves of paper were scattered on the surface. Eowyn was there, along with several older women, and they were engaged in a discussion that lacked interest and motivation.

"Hey ya'll! What's up?" Nicole asked brightly. The women gave her blank stares. Eowyn looked up and sighed.

"Lady Nicole, if there was any time when I did not need another woman around to bother me, it is now. I am glad that you have returned, but perhaps we could speak together later?"

"Actually..." Nicole began, and Eowyn could tell that she wouldn't like this. "How about now? Now is a really good time. Really." Nicole stared at her, hoping that Eowyn would catch her meaning.

She didn't. But she did seem interested in whatever it was, so she replied, "I will speak with you shortly. If you would please return to the room you stayed in last time, I will come to visit you within the hour."

Nicole crossed her arms. _This might be tricky... that would be a less formal situation, and then The Plan might not work. _But it was her only choice so she nodded curtly, said good bye, and headed off to the room.

After a girl arrived at her room with some food, Nicole ate a bit and thought about her Plan.... If Eowyn didn't take her seriously, it would never work. But if Nicole didn't take Eowyn seriously, it wouldn't work either. So this was the dilemma: Nicole was unable to take anybody seriously unless threatened severely. _Hmm... not much to do... unless I tried acting again... but Eowyn didn't believe me before. Although I did manage to convince Aragorn. That's saying something. Damn... this means I have to be serious again. And all Elf-y. _Nicole sighed, stood up and began pacing... seriousness was not one of her strengths. At that moment, a soft knock was heard at the door. _Here goes nothing... _Nicole calmed herself. "Come in."

"Nicole, what was the point of leaving if you only came back with nothing to show for it?" Eowyn asked immediately.

"That's not important right now. What's important is that I have found out some bad news, and we need to get moving right away."

"What do you mean?"

Nicole paused... _I hope I won't be pushing my luck when I say this... _"The scouts for the Rohirrim have reported that the forces of Saruman plan to come to Edoras... and since all our protection has gone off to fight their own battle, we are not presently in a safe place." That wasn't entirely true... Saruman only planned to come to Edoras once he had wiped out the Rohirrim, but if Nicole made it seem like the two actions were simultaneous, then The Plan would be more effective.

Eowyn swallowed and sank into a chair. "He... he wants to attack... Edoras?" she whispered.

"Yes," Nicole replied. "And he plans to do it soon, so there is no chance that the Rohirrim will make it back here in time. We cannot stay here, Eowyn. It's like asking to be killed." Luckily, Nicole had heard a few of the Rohirrim talking about going to Helm's Deep while she was riding with them, and that's what had been a vital part of her Plan.

Eowyn's expression changed, and loyalty and love for her people kicked in. "I do not want to see the people of my country slain by him... and I know that we have to protect ourselves somehow. But how? You are right, it is not safe here..." her voice softened and she seemed distant. Nicole waited impatiently for Eowyn to think of going to Helm's Deep. Unfortunately, the two women didn't have quite the same brain waves. "Perhaps your people might help us!" Eowyn exclaimed with sudden inspiration.

Somewhere in the instant when Eowyn spoke the words and Nicole heard them, they changed to "let's go to Helm's Deep". So Nicole quickly and enthousiastically replied, "great idea! Let's go!... hang on, WHAT?"

"You are here, are you not? And your... companion, Legolas, he was here as well. It must mean that the Elves are willing to help us once again. That must be why you came," Eowyn said and blinked innocently.

_ Oh no... I can't help you, stupid Eowyn! I'm the same as you are, except I'm stupider, younger, and don't have nearly as much influence as you do. You humans have to start helping yourselves! ... dammit, I just thought of myself as an Elf again. I think I'm actually starting to believe it. What a shame, I liked using "I'm only human" as an excuse. _This entire monologue passed in a split second, and then Nicole repeated a part of it in a soft voice to Eowyn. "I'm sorry, but that's not what I'm here for at all. I will personally help you in any way I can, but my people will not. Our time is over... we're trying to pass on what knowledge we can, to you, but it will not work if you do not learn to stand for yourselves. You must find your own methods," Nicole said, once more taking on a serious tone so that she could pretend to be wise.

Of course, Nicole hadn't paid attention to the whole "your... _companion_, Legolas" bit, since she was more focused on guiding Eowyn into making the suggestion for going to Helm's Deep. Perhaps paying attention to it might have been helpful, but how could our stupid (yet loveably) heroine look into the future? Nicole had no idea how she altered Eowyn's perception of her, but from that time onwards, Eowyn always believed that Nicole and Legolas were a couple. Poor Legolas.

Eowyn looked mightily disappointed. "What hope is there for us, if we do not have the Elven-kind to help us, as usual?"

Nicole cleared her throat in a manner that sounded suspiciously like 'Helm's Deep'.

"I'm sorry, I didn't quite hear you. What did you just say?" Eowyn asked.

"Who, me? Nothing, not a word!"

"Are you sure? I thought I heard... hmm.... no matter. In any case the defence in Edoras is too weak to withstand Saruman here."

"Indeed."

"So we will have to evacuate the city."

"Good idea."

"But where could we go, where would everybody fit, and where would we have a good defence?"

"Yes, where?"

"It would have to be some place where we have managed to defeat a foe previously."

"You have a point."

"Someplace strong... and perhaps someplace where the Rohirrim would know to find us, if they have time to find us."

"A big, safe place, and everyone knows about it."

"Perhaps... we would have enough room there, certainly... the Rohirrim would find us... but do we have time?"

"Always got time for..."

"Helm's Deep!"

"Bingo!" Nicole grinned broadly. It had taken forever, but Eowyn had at least said it herself and ignored Nicole's whispered comments, so at least it looked as though the Lady of Rohan had thought of it herself.

Eowyn dismissed Nicole's outburst, and quickly moved as though to leave the room. "Will you help me? There isn't much time, and organizing all these people... I would truly be grateful."

Nicole looked at her with a blank expression. "No, Eowyn. I just rode across half of Rohan so that I could not help you. Sorry." The shock on the other woman's face made her roll her eyes. "Of _course_, silly! Why else would I come? I mean, you do have a magnetic personality and all, but really, I just come here for the bed&bath service." She made a face. "My humor really sucks these days, doesn't it? I should really spend some time trying to think up new and witty comments. Although to be honest, I don't suppose I should be making jokes in such serious days. But isn't laughter the best medicine? And if we're all injured, we should laugh, and I _should _be more funnier--"

"You're rambling, Nicole," Eowyn said with a pat on the shoulder.

"Oops." She blushed. "Sorry."

"It happens to the strangest of us." Nicole opened her mouth to reply, then abruptly shut it and frowned. _Did I just get shut down by Eowyn?? Things are weird in the land of Rohan, no doubt 'bout it. _Eowyn grinned. "I am improving at manipulating your words, am I not? I practiced while you were gone." At Nicole's half-happy, half-scared glance, Eowyn just smiled and left the room, calling behind her, "your old clothes are in the trunk by the bed. Be in the main hall in half an hour!"

And with that, Nicole was left alone to wonder what ever happened to her sharp and clever remarks and the humor that annoyed everybody so much.

**_::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::_**

"Excuse me, could I just... Ma'am, if I may... Please, sir... I'm sorry, pardon me..."

The constant high pitched voice begged for passage through the dense crowd that was moving through the gates of Edoras. Nicole, standing right at the doors to make sure that no one was bringing more than they absolutely needed, heard the tiresome noise and it assaulted her sensitive ears more than the noise of the crowd combined. _That damn squeak is driving me INSANE... where is the little brat, I'm gonna get that pipsqueak and stuff it through that gate and make sure it never comes with THREE HUNDRED MILES OF ME!!! _While inner turmoil raged, on the outside Nicole's eyebrow twitched slightly and her hands curled into tight fists.

"I'm sorry... could I just pass by... pardon me, excuse me..."

"OUTTA MY WAY!!!" With that tremendous yell, Nicole shoved through the riotous Rohan-ians, and found the source of all her misery. Two small children, both with sandy brown hair and blue eyes, were trying to make their way through the crowd and were being trampled in the process. One was a girl who looked about seven and the other (presumable her brother) was a boy of around three. _Aha! I have apprehended you, evil little demons!!! Shit... they're just kids though, I can't beat them up. Hmm... What Would Eowyn Do? Oh right, they're citizens of Edoras. Serve and Protect. Swell. _

"What is the matter, dear children?" Nicole asked in her sweetest voice through clenched teeth.

The little girl swallowed a bit nervously, but answered anyways. "We've got to get through the crowd, we've lost Mama." The boy clutched at his sister's skirt and nodded.

_Eowyn advises you that in this instance, it would be best if you took care of the children until they find their mother. _Twitch. _I DONT WANNA!!!!!! _Twitch. With a very large (and very fake) smile, Nicole took the hand of the little girl and forced herself to play nice.

"Don't worry, I'll help you find her," she said, all sweetness and sugar. With Nicole to guide them, the kids were able to get past the gates of the city easily and they stood outside on a grassy hill (then again, in Rohan what hill _isn't _grassy?), observing the people filing out.

When the entire column had passed by, the children claimed not to have seen their missing maternal unit. And then promptly decided that since they didn't have one at the moment, Nicole should fill that position immediately. Twitch. _At least they aren't calling me mommy yet. _ Nicole had a plan though... since they were at the back of the long line of people, she would just have to walk twice as fast as everyone else so that they could go through the whole column in a matter of maybe fifteen minutes... _alright, maybe half an hour... maybe an hour... maybe two... how long is this damn line??? _And by the time they reach the head of the line, the mother would be found. _Maybe I should just walk three times as fast... or I could run... Elves run pretty fast, don't we? I'd be able to find their mother in no ti-- ARGHHH!!! _

Nicole's mental tirade turned verbal as the littlest brat somehow managed to jump on her back. The boy just giggled happily and gripped on to her shoulders all the more forcefully. A low growl started in Nicole's throat and threatened to break out. _WHY THOSE LITTLE---!_

"Nicole! How wonderful to see that you have found some new friends!" Fortunately for the children, and unfortunately for Nicole (who was _so_ looking forward to strangling said children), Eowyn showed up at that moment, since she was also making her way up and down the traveling line of people.

Nicole plastered her happy-face on. "Indeed. It is quite pleasant to aid these young children. They have lost their mother, and I am substituting for her until we may find her once more," she replied. The strained voice and the twitching of her eye informed Eowyn better than Nicole's words: Nicole was in hell, but was too nice to let the kids see it.

Eowyn grinned. "Well, have fun... I'm sorry, I have to go check on the horses..." her excuse drifted off as she went away from them, moving farther up the line.

_That wretched woman won't even help me. _

With a resolve to be envied, Nicole decided to be as nice as humanly possible, and hoped desperately that the famous "Elven patience" was something she had acquired along with her pointy ears. A sharp high-pitched squeal right next to her overly-sensitive ear caused her to stiffen and clamp down any angry feelings. Twitch. _Think happy thoughts... happy thoughts... _Nicole sped up and wondered how long the walk would be to get to Helm's Deep, and asked the girl. 

"It's only about... four days, I think," she replied happily. "That means we get to spend three more days with you!" The girl gripped Nicole's hand tighter and swung their joined arms. "Let's skip!"

Nicole's eyes widened in horror... "Skip?? But... but... I'll drop your brother! We'll trip over rocks! You could get hurt!!" Excuses were flying off her tongue but it was already too late, the girl had pulled her into a lively skipping-run-dance thing. She shut her eyes tightly as the girl laughed and spun them 'round in circles. _Thank Valar for Elvish gracefulness..._ and at that moment, of course, Nicole had to stumble over uneven ground. The "graceful" She-Elf lay sprawled on her back for a moment before even registering the insane giggling of the boy. She lifted her head from the ground and glanced at the boy who sat happily and uninjured on her abdomen.

"I'm not even gonna ask how you landed there from my back..." she said and let her head flop down again. She allowed herself a blissful moment of rest while the boy started bouncing on her ribs. Nicole winced. A tickling sensation on her face forced her to open her eyes to see the girl leaning over her and grinning broadly.

"Good. For a moment I thought Elves didn't know how to have fun."

"Fun is my Chinese neighbour's middle name," Nicole grunted. She pulled herself up, grabbed the smaller kid by the waist and held him awkwardly balanced on her hip. The girl looked puzzled for a moment, but shrugged and took Nicole's offered hand as they walked the short distance back to the more sane line of people.

"Sing a song."

"No way in hell, kid." At this point, she didn't care if she was setting a bad example by swearing, or if she had dropped her sunny disposition.

"Please..." she whined. Her brother joined in too and tugged on her hair incessantly. Twitch.

"No."

"Pleeeaassee?"

Nicole stuck her tongue out at the girl. "No, and you can't make me."

The girl pouted... her bottom lip trembled... those big blue eyes filled with moisture. Nicole sighed.

"Pulling a sad face is _not_ going to work."

"You can sing in your language... Everybody says Elvish songs are the best ones."

Something in the back of Nicole's mind clicked and wheels churned as a new Plan was in the making.

"Pleeeaassee?"

A slow smile crept over her features. Her eyes glinted mischievously. "Alright.... I give. But just one song, and not in the Western tongue."

The girl nodded enthusiastically and the boy stopped tugging on Nicole's hair and both pairs of blue eyes turned immediate attention to her.

Nicole cleared her throat, and setting her mind up to thinking in the right language, began a horrible drinking song in Dwarvish.

_A gallon or two,  
filled to the brim,  
With alcohol plenty,  
To make my sight swim._

_ Some ale, some beer,  
Nothing is clear!  
Some gin, some whisky,  
I think I'm getting tipsy!_

_ Oh, no ale, no ale,  
I'd rather lose my head.  
Without ale, precious ale,  
I'd rather be dead!_

_ Drink with me,  
Drink to nothing.  
Three cheers for ale,  
It's been a long time coming!_

_ With a valued friend,  
And a mug of ale.  
With the happy songs,  
And the finished tale._

_ Some ale, some beer,  
Nothing is clear!  
Some gin, some whisky,  
I think I'm getting tipsy!_

_I'd rather be drunk,  
And ignorant of all,  
Than be missing my ale,  
And ... not being drunk!_

The last line didn't rhyme at all, but Nicole grinned anyways. _Proof of my insanity... if only Gimli had been here, he would have laughed... Aragorn would have pretended to scold me but grinned... _Nicole frowned. _Legolas would have told me to stop being so immature and not Elf-like._

The boy giggled again. Twitch. _I'm going to make that kid stop giggling permanently... somehow... _The girl cocked her head to the side.

"Is that a real song?"

Nicole growled. "You wanted me to sing, I sang. You don't like it, deal. Sucks to be you." She stuck her tongue out again.

The girl raised an eyebrow. _Even KIDS can do that, and I still can't!!! It's not FAIR!!!! It's supposed to be one of my "elvish-skills," _Nicole thought in frustration. "It just didn't sound like Elvish to me..."

"Have you ever heard Elvish?"

"No."

"Then how do you know it wasn't Elvish?"

A pause... "It's not supposed to be so ... rough." Nicole grumbled something. "What?" the girl asked insistently.

"It's Dwarvish."

"You tricked us!" she exclaimed. The boy clambered from Nicole's waist to her shoulders and pulled on her hair. The girl frowned and pouted again.

"You wanted me to sing! So I did! Geez, chillax!"

"Ba' muma! Ba'! Ba'!" the boy perched on her shoulders started banging his small fists on her head.

"Ouch! What the--? STOP!!! Oh come on! Quit it! GET OFF ME!!!" Nicole was squirming, trying to reach the kid and grab hold of him. _Stupid kid just called me his 'muma', I guess that's his version of mother. I'm gonna get him for that!!! _Finally, she grabbed a flailing wrist, and hauled the toddler off her back, dangling him in the air by his arm.

"BA'!!!!"

"Shut it, kid. You're the bad one," Nicole replied harshly and deposited the boy on the ground. _I. Hate. Children. _ She crossed her arms over her chest and gave them a strict look. "I'm going into retirement. I'm sure you two can find your mother by yourselves. Have a nice life," she said coldly, turned her back, and walked in the direction that the Rohan-ian people were traveling.

Before she could go four paces, a heavy weight attached itself to her waist and a lighter one clamped on to her left leg. Nicole stopped, closed her eyes, clenched her jaw, and tried to control her murderous urges. After a moment, she continued to move forward, albeit more laboriously. _I. Hate. Children._

_:  
:  
:_

**A/N: Not as splendid as I hoped it would be, but it'll do. **

**I know it took forever, but since it's summer, I'm hoping to update MUCH more frequently to make it up for the three months of silence. Oh, and disclaimers:  
"Fun is my Chinese neighbour's middle name." -- that's from the movie "Rocketman"  
Dwarvish Drinking Song -- all mine can't you tell?**

**Thanks SO much for reading and being patient with me!!! Please review!!!!**

**Morgaine of Ithil : out of retirement!**


	27. Deep Reunions

**A/N: I MUST make up the lack of updates!!!!! (type type type) Wish me luck! (munches on marshy-mallows) I'll write, I promise... as soon as I'm done with these... and the popcorn... and the cake... and the ice-cream... and all the other junk food. hehe. Food helps me think good, I swear!**

**Disclaimer: I won't put anymore of these up, because if you haven't gotten the point yet, you're never going to get it.**

**Disclaimer 2: I dunno if this counts as a disclaimer... but anyways, in my version, Aragorn doesn't die in that little skirmish with the wargs, as seen in the movie. **

**Home Sweet Home**

**Chapter Twenty-Seven: 'Deep' Reunions**

"FREEEEEE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!" A triumphant voice sounded in the valley, and echoed off the stone walls of the keep.

Nicole had finally succeeded in finding the two brats' mother as they had entered Helm's Deep. She now basked happily in the afternoon sun and sat dangling her legs off the steep edge of the wall of Helm's Deep. Everybody else paused for a moment at the shout and looked up at her, but with a smile and a wave from Nicole, they went back to scuttling around their fortress. The work had started as soon as they had arrived, with Eowyn directing the people where to go, what to put where, and all sorts of stuff that bored Nicole to tears. _Besides, _she assured herself, _I deserve a break after dealing with those kids for the whole walk here. _Eowyn was surprised that Nicole had made it, and so was Nicole.

The situation at the moment was as follows:

A) The entire population of Edoras was at Helm's Deep.  
B) The entire population of about five other small Rohan-ian towns was also at Helm's Deep.  
C) Everyone was trying to get stuffed into the caves (rumored to be spacious, but Nicole had politely declined seeing for herself... she didn't particularly like caves).  
D) Everyone was trying to find enough food to support the people in the caves.  
E) No one had seen hide nor hair or the missing Rohirrim, but there was a rumor that they were on their way.  
F) Eowyn was managing all of this; Nicole was on a self-appointed vacation.

"If you could remind me again, why exactly are you not working?" a voice asked from behind her.

"Elementary, dear Eowyn," Nicole replied. "I'm going to work, of course. But once the warrior-dudes get here."

"And why is that?"

"Duh... I'm going to be with them, I need to save up my strength for fighting."

"Fighting?!"

Nicole dismissed the comment and stood on the raised parapet of the wall, ignoring the steep drop on one side of her. Stretching her arms above her head, she leaned forward and shifted her weight to her arms as she did a handstand on the stone. Eowyn gasped, sputtered, and attempted to command her to get down from there immediately. She grinned. "Yes, fighting. I can't wait!" She giggled and turned herself right-side-up again.

"You're going to get yourself killed!"

Nicole did a cartwheel. "If I'm going to die anyways, why not do it for a cause?"

"I'm not talking about the battle, you stupid girl, I'm talking about... this... this... PLAYING!!!"

Nicole sighed and sat back down, this time facing Eowyn and safety. "Yes, mother," she said and stuck her tongue out. Abruptly, she swung her legs back onto the ledge, sat in the lotus position, closed her eyes and began humming. "Ommm..... ommmm....."

"What are you doing? Would you get down from there, that's dangerous!" Eowyn scolded her.

Nicole glared at her through one open eye. "I'm meditating," she claimed in a matter-of-fact tone. "It helps me calm down."

Eowyn raised an eyebrow. "I'm sure it does," she replied sarcastically.

"Dammit, why can't I do that?"

"Do what?"

"Raise my eyebrow... it's not fair!" Nicole pouted.

Her friend suddenly smiled in fake happiness. "You know what you _can _do, though? You could help me moving all the people and provisions into the Caves."

"Oh, that sounds SOOO tempting!" Nicole rolled her eyes. Then sighed... then got off the ledge and trudged towards the direction of the Caves.

"Where are you going?" Eowyn called as she caught up.

"Where do you think, your highness?" she grumbled. "I'm going to do the _right thing_ because I have to because I'm a bloody Elf and if I don't my conscience eats away at my brain, and quite honestly I like my brain, so I'm going to be nice and help you even though I hate it 'cause its boring, but I'm just doing it for the sake of my brain!"

Eowyn blinked. "Uh... sure. As long as you are helping me... and Nicole, do try to keep the psychotic speech down to a minimum around the children." With a growl from the She-Elf, Eowyn added, "Or... not..." And with that, the two of them headed back towards the caves (of doom).

**_::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::_**

Nicole shifted the basket full of grain to her other side as she tried to cram her way through the packed hall. She was on her way to the caves, but so was everyone else, and Eowyn had finally succeeded in recruiting her to do work. With a growl of frustration, Nicole put the basket down on one of the tables shoved up against the walls and stood on the table as well. _There's nothing but people in each direction!! How am I supposed to get out of here?_ A mild sense of claustrophobia itched in Nicole's brain, but she shoved it aside and headed back the way she came, using the tables as a more convenient form of transportation. 

A horn sounded somewhere in the Deep, and the noise level in the hall rose sharply: the Rohirrim had returned. Nicole increased her speed, trying to avoid random items strewn on the table tops. Finally reaching the opening of the passage-way, she managed to get on the floor and run on a proper surface.

_And if our dear ol' Rohirrim are back, I'll bet my right foot that Aragonite and Gimli are back too! Oh... and Legolas, too. Yea, I'm sure he came back just to torture me more... stupid Elf. _Nicole turned the last corner, which should presumably lead her to where the Rohirrim were assembled, and faced.... a six-foot high stone wall. She growled and stared at the wall, "You weren't here before! MOVE, damn you!" Naturally, the wall didn't comply with her demand. "Fine," she muttered. "If you won't move, I'll just climb over you." She hoisted herself up onto the top of the wall, which was thankfully at least a foot thick. She paused on the top, and sat herself down facing outwards. "Go figure, Nicole would get herself there, only a floor too high."

Below her, and oblivious to her, the Rohirrim were milling into the large space, fewer in number than before. Nicole searched through the crowd from her perch above them, catching a glimpse of long blonde hair in the fray. Eowyn. Nicole pushed her hair back (it kept flying in her face due to the windy-ness of her position), and checked who Eowyn was with.... King Theoden, some Rohirrim (who were practically drooling over Eowyn, _damn I feel bad for her..._), and then... Nicole's companions, one of whom was practically being drooled over by Eowyn. Aragorn didn't look too happy (he was, after all, engaged). _Sound the trumpets, it's Nicole to the rescue!!!_

"ARAGONITE!!!" Nicole shouted over the noise of the riders, and grinned broadly at the confused look on the Ranger's face as he looked around. Legolas tapped his shoulder and pointed up at Nicole. She waved cheerfully and dropped down from the wall. Seconds later, she appeared by his side and hugged him tightly. Clearing her throat, she went back to being serious.

"What did I tell you about running around the country? Look at you, you're a mess!" She scolded. It was true, his hair was more disgusting than usual. She turned on Gimli. "And you!" Instead of yelling at him, she grinned broadly. "I sang my very first Dwarvish drinking song, Gimli!! You should have been there...."

Gimli laughed in return. "Aye, we'll have to get you to sing another one sometime soon, lass!"

"Anytime, my good dwarf!" Nicole replied. "I missed you guys... Eowyn here left me to the mercy of children while you were away. It was not a pretty sight."

"Yes, but as I recall, the children were very amused by you Nicole," the blonde replied. "It's almost a pity that they found their mother, Nicole made an excellent substitute." She added a meaningful look at the Elf of the company, something that only Aragorn managed to catch and store away for future reference.

Nicole pouted. "It's true... Eowyn set two little brats on me. I couldn't stand it... that's where the drinking song comes in. Although I was hardly a good substitute Eowyn. If you'll remember, on the third day I carried the boy upside-down for two hours just to make him shut-up his stupid giggles."

Aragorn chuckled. "Sounds like we have a lot of catching up to do."

"As amusing as your tales surely are, we have not the time for such frivolous activities," Legolas reminded them. The man, dwarf, and lady quieted immediately and took on more somber countenances. The She-Elf did no such thing.

"Yes yes, middle of war, battle is upon us. Blah blah, chivalry, blah, heroic quests, yadda yadda save the world, really guys: lighten up!" All four gave Nicole looks of astonishment and horror at having no respect for the upcoming battle. She flashed them a grin. "Besides, with me here to protect ya'll, you've got nothing to worry about!" _Wrong thing to say, at the worst possible time..._

As though they were one person, her three traveling companions turned on her, protesting her choice to fight. They also began advancing on her, forcing her to keep backing up more and more. As she weakly tried to defend her reasons for going into the battle (one of which was: "but I bonded so much with those two brats that now I feel the need to protect them!"), she was being edged further and further (by the helpful navigations of Eowyn) towards a room in the Keep that had a very solid door and lock on it.

"I can fight! Besides, don't deny that you need all the help you can get! I can help you, dammit!" She shouted finally.

Legolas raised an eyebrow and smirked. "And how would you do that from behind a door?" With that, the door was slammed in her face, and a lock slid into place. Nicole was standing, alone, defeated in an empty room, while outside everyone was preparing for battle.

"Well... that went very well, don't you think so?" Eowyn questioned innocently.

All three males glared at her murderously.

**_::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::_**

With a war cry, Nicole charged the door and slammed into it with her full weight. She growled and grabbed her shoulder as pain burst through the joint. _If I keep ramming this door, I won't have any strength left to fight. _She sighed and shrugged. _Might as well give it one more shot. _Walking calmly to the opposite wall, she took a deep breath, rolled her shoulders, put herself in a running stance, and set off. _C'mon, dammit, OPEN! _As she flew across the room, the door miraculously obeyed her command, and opened right as she reached it. Before she had time to react to the lack of an object for her to hit, she hit something she didn't intend to. Or rather, someone.

"How very graceful," a rude voice remarked in Elvish, belonging to the person that caught and steadied her.

Nicole backed up, and glared at the Elf. "Well, SOMEBODY decided to lock me in this room. I don't suppose you would have been very graceful either, Elf," she replied to Legolas. She glared at him suspiciously. "What're you doing here?"

"We have visitors, I think you would be interested in meeting them."

{If they're anything like you, you should have left me locked in the room,} she muttered in Dwarvish as she followed him through the fortress.

"What did you say?"

"Nothing, Elfie dear," Nicole replied, voice dripping with sarcasm. He scowled, but continued along the rest of the way in silence. Before long, the two Elves found themselves atop a stairwell that descended to the main gates of the Keep, where Nicole could see an unusual gleam. It seemed a troop of soldiers had entered and was at present conversing and greeting King Theoden, all the Rohanian officials and those members of the Fellowship who were present. As the pair of Elves descended the stairs, the soldiers turned and faced Prince Legolas in a gesture of respect. That's what triggered Nicole's brain to draw the conclusion. _Elves. And not just any Elves... Loth-Lorien by the looks of it. _They were still a few stairs above them when the leader happened to glance up, and thus cause himself a great deal of unpleasantness.

"HALDIR!!!!" The name was squealed out in such a high-pitch that the Elven soldiers had to use a great deal of their restraint to keep the winces from showing on their faces. A split second later, Haldir got his come-uppance: a mouthful of Nicole's hair as she bounced off the stair and tackled him. The leader of the Elves barely managed to keep himself upright, much less register what had just happened. His circulation to his brain was being cut off as it is.

Nicole didn't notice until the felt fingers starting to claw at her arms. She grimaced and pulled away. "Sorry," she said sheepishly. "Didn't mean to hug you so hard." She cleared her throat, detached and detangled herself, and nodded to the soldiers, a few of whom were looking at her with curiousity. "It is good to see that you are all doing well... and... er... yes. Good." She ran out of things to say. _Hmm... awkward silence. Only one way to cure that. Revert to child-ness. _She pulled on a strand of his golden hair. "What brings you to our great big stone building? And have you got anything fun to do? These brats (she gestured to her companions) won't let me in on the fun of fighting."

To her great delight, Haldir smiled at Nicole. "I'm afraid, then, that the 'brats' will have to cope with you, because you will be fighting in the battle," he announced, leaving the 'brats' shocked, and Nicole jumping up and down.

"Yes! Oh yay! Hehehe!" Her shouts of joy continued as she bounced happily around the gathered people. Nicole was oblivious to how irritated everybody was getting with her incessant movement. Aragorn backed away to allow her more room, Gimli looked like he was in fear of being trampled, and Legolas glared at Haldir for putting her in such a state.

With a sigh, and realizing that since he started it, he had to finish it, Haldir strode forward and grabbed Nicole's arm to keep her earth-bound. "There... ah... is a condition to your participation in the battle."

"Condition?" She blinked with innocent confusion.

"Yes... you will have to behave... more maturely. Otherwise you might be a liability."

"Me? Liability? Never!" Nicole huffed and pouted.

"Now Nicole, that's not very mature," Haldir said and gestured to one of the Elven soldiers to bring forward a wrapped package and carefully unwrapped it, revealing the shining armor beneath. Nicole reached out a hand to touch it. Haldir held her fingers. "Behave."

She nodded seriously and accepted her precious cargo. The metal was finely crafted Elvish steel glistened in the light. It followed the same basic strong but flowing pattern of all the other armor which the soldiers were wearing, except it had modification because she was a woman. "It's beautiful," she breathed. "My thanks to the Lady."

Haldir smiled smugly, as though showing off.

Nicole grinned, stuck her tongue out at them, and ran back into the further reaches of the keep to try her new armor on. "Catch me if you can, kiddies!"

Haldir sighed. "I don't suppose she will ever grow up?"

"No," Aragorn replied. "Never."

**A/N: Whoo! Tis done! And it's only a few weeks late... heh. Sorry bout that. :(**

**Three cheers for Tina: she made a record by reading my story in 6 hours!!! yay!!! (throws confetti)**

**Thanks for all the reviews, please give me some suggestions if it's bad, ok? great! **

**Bye guys!**

**MoI**


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